A view of the magnificent Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Srisailam. File
| Photo Credit: U. SUBRAMANYAM
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed the Endowments Department to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the development of the ancient Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamyvarla Devasthanam in Srisailam into a world-class pilgrimage centre on a par with the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala.
Mr. Naidu also said the State government would request the Union government to allocate 2,000 hectares of forest land to facilitate the comprehensive development of the Srisailam temple.
The Chief Minister, who chaired a review meeting at his camp office on Sunday, said the allocation of forest land was essential to provide modern facilities for the lakhs of devotees who visit Srisailam every year.
“The project will not only improve amenities such as parking, accommodation, and connectivity, but also balance environmental protection with temple development,” he said.
Significance
Mr. Naidu emphasised that the Srisailam temple, which is both a Jyotirlinga Kshetra and a Shakti Peetha, should be developed to handle heavy pilgrim inflow from across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and other States. “The temple town should be connected to nearby national highways at Dornala, Srisailam Sunnipenta, and Eegalapenta to improve accessibility,” he observed.
Stating that the temple was emerging as the second most significant pilgrim destination in Andhra Pradesh after Tirumala, Mr. Naidu, however, pointed out that the temple town lacked adequate parking and other amenities to handle large gatherings. He also stressed that the temple’s development should go hand-in-hand with ecological protection.
Tiger conservation
The Chief Minister instructed the Forest Department to prepare an action plan for tiger conservation in the Srisailam Tiger Reserve, while ensuring that temple development initiatives contributed to preserving greenery and natural heritage.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to visit the Srisailam temple on October 16, the Chief Minister said he would also discuss the temple development issue with him.
Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, sharing his views, underscored the urgency of expanding infrastructure in Srisailam given the growing number of devotees. He proposed studying the facilities available at other major forest-based temples such as Sabarimala, to adopt suitable models for Srisailam.
Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and senior officials of the Endowments and Forest departments were present.
Published – October 05, 2025 08:10 pm IST
