Jammu: J&K’s Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha will perform the bhoomi pujan ceremony for Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Jammu on Sunday, officials said.
Lt. Governor along with YV Subba Reddy, Chairman of Tirumla Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple, will participate in bhoomi poojan ceremony at proposed site Majeen on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
The grand ceremony will witness participation by around 28 board members of TTD trust, which includes legislators of Andhra Pradesh and senior IAS officers. Around 12 special invitees will also grace the occasion.
The preparations for bhoomi poojan is going on at war footing level. Special teams from Andhra Pradesh camped in Jammu to oversee the arrangements.
As per site engineers, out of total 62 acres of allotted land to the trust, work will commence on 17 acres in first phase.
“We use 17 acres of land in first phase to construct Temple Complex, boundary wall, Vedik School, Staff Quarters and amenities for pilgrims,” officials said adding ‘the estimated cost of first phase is Rs 33 crores’
Earlier, Jammu administration appointed Additional Deputy Commissioner, as nodal officers to oversee the arrangements. A senior officer of rank deputy director of Floriculture has been directed to arrange banana trees and mango leaves for pooja in addition to flower pots and floral arrangements.
Superintending Engineer, PWD (R&B) directed to construct approach road to the proposed site in Majeen from Jammu-Srinagar national Highway and make arrangement for 20 VVIPs vehicles and 80 vehicles capacity general parking in coordination with Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic, Jammu, local news agency, KNO, reported.
Notably, Jammu and Kashmir administration has allotted over 496 kanals of land on lease for 40 years to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for building a temple and allied infrastructure.
An official spokesman said the Administrative Council (AC), which is headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, met and approved the proposal to allot 496 kanals and 17 marlas of land to the TTD for building a temple and its allied infrastructure, pilgrim amenities complex, vedapatasala, spiritual/meditation centre, office, residential quarters and parking.
The order issued by the principal secretary to the government, revenue department stated the land is granted on payment of nominal ground rent of Rs 10 per kanal per annum without charge of any premium subject to the condition that the land would be used only for the purpose for which it is granted.
The land, he said, would be allotted to the TTD on lease basis for a period of 40 years.
TTD, which is headquartered at Tirupati, is an independent trust which manages temples including the Tirumala Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh.
