‘Bhoomi Pooja’ was performed on Tuesday for the construction of the Lord Venkateswara temple at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

Replica

The temple will be constructed at a whopping cost of Rs. 22.5 crore in a sprawling four and a half acres of land. The temple, which will be constructed on similar lines of the Tirumala temple, will also house the temple of Goddess Padmavathi ammavaru, Pushkarini (temple tank), Goshala (cow shed), Vedapatasala, Potu (temple kitchen) and a free meals complex.

Maha Sankalpam performed

A team of Vedic priests performed Maha Sankalpam at the temporary Yagasala at the pre-designated time in the morning followed by Homam (lighting of sacred fire) and Viswaksena aradhana in strict accordance to the guidelines laid down in the Agama sastras.

Later in his address, the TTDs Executive Officer L.V. Subramanyam said that the historical port town which remains a favoured tourist destination in the South henceforth will also emerge as a place of pilgrimage after the completion of the temple.

Prominent among others who took part in the ceremony include the TTDs Chairman K. Bapiraju, Member trustee L.R. Siva Prasad, Chief Engineer Chandra Sekhar Reddy and members of the local advisory committee.