Date:09/06/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/06/09/stories/2003060905750300.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Sri Rama temple comes up at Yadavapalli

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD June 8. In what is being described as the second Bhadradri, an imposing Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple built with great aesthetic and sculptural values has come up at Thoorpu Yadavalli village of Kamavarapu Kota mandal on the Eluru-Jangareddygudem road in West Godavari district.

An imposing 52 feet `Raja Gopuram' and a 14 feet `Simha Dwaram' carved out of a single stone besides myriad sculptures of mythological importance created by 40 sculptors after a year-long toil are hallmarks of the temple that has come up in the home town of the Major Industries Minister, K. Vidyadhara Rao.

Mr. Rao donated an acre of land for the temple while a trust comprising of his family members and donors built the temple. "There is no parallel to this temple in both the Godavari and Krishna districts. It is second only to the famed Bhadrachalam temple," he said during a recent visit to the temple.

The maintenance of the Rs. 1-crore temple has been handed over to Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devasthanam of Dwaraka Tirumala.

The Minister announced that a tourism circuit connecting four temples of great historical importance in the region -- Narasimhaswamy temple at I.S. Jagannadhapuram, Maddi Anjaneyaswamy temple, Guravayagudem, Sathyanarayanaswamy temple, Rangapuram, and Jagannadhaswamy temple, Lakshmipuram -- with the newly built Thurpu Yadavalli temple would be introduced shortly.

The Dwaraka Tirumala temple management has been requested to run free bus service that covers these temples for the convenience of pilgrims. The traditional idol installation ceremony would be held from June 14 to 19 under the supervision of Sri Chinna Jeer Swamy.