Swarnagiri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, a spiritual landmark | Fusion - WeRIndia

The Swarnagiri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, also known as Yadadri Tirumala Devasthanam, is a magnificent new addition to India’s spiritual map.

Located on the Manepally Hills in Bhuvanagiri, Telangana, just 47.3 km from Hyderabad, the temple sits atop a 22-acre estate owned by the Manepalli family.

Rooted in faith and built with grandeur, it is fast becoming a major pilgrimage and architectural marvel.

The temple was built as a thanksgiving after Srimati Vijaya Lakshmi, wife of industrialist Sriman Manepalli Rama Rao, miraculously recovered from a coma.

She regained consciousness after being given holy water from Tirupati, inspiring the family to construct the temple in gratitude for this divine blessing.

Inspired by this divine event, their sons, Muralikrishna and Gopikrishna, initiated the temple’s construction in 2018, guided by the Pancharatra Agama Shastra and Tennacharya Sampradayam traditions.

The temple was completed in March 2024, after more than seven years of work and an estimated cost of ₹500 crore.

Swarnagiri Temple combines the styles of Pallava, Chola, Vijayanagara, and Chalukya dynasties.

It features:

• Four Rajagopurams on each side of the complex.
• A five-story Vimana Gopuram above the Garbha Griha (sanctum).
• A 12-foot-tall black granite statue of Lord Venkateswara, the largest in Telangana, is adorned with gold and silver.
• A 120-foot Hanuman Mandapa housing a 40-foot monolithic Hanuman statue.
• India’s second-largest bronze bell, weighing 1.5 tonnes.

The temple has many special features. One is the Jala Narayana Swami Sannidhi, a water-filled shrine that lights up beautifully at night.

There is also the Lakshminarasimha Mandapam, Karya Siddhi Hanuman Sannidhi, Garudalwar Sthambham, and several halls for religious ceremonies.

The temple was designed by DNV Prasad Sthapathi, who also worked on the Statue of Equality. Skilled artisans from all over India helped build it.

The temple is open to visitors. It stands as one of South India’s most magnificent Balaji temples, attracting spiritual seekers from far and wide.

Image Credit: Rithwik Ponnam, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swarnagiri_Temple.jpg