Gudem (Mancherial): The Telangana government has taken up development of the Satyanarayana Swamy Temple Gudem Gutta with an outlay of Rs 70 crore ahead of the Godavari Pushkaralu 2027.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka laid the foundation stone for the works on Saturday. The temple, located on a hillock in Dandepalli mandal, is accessible by steps and a motorable road and lies about 2 km from the Godavari Pushkara ghats.
The initiative is part of a broader plan to develop pilgrimage centres along the Godavari basin from Basar Saraswati Temple to Bhadrachalam Temple to promote spiritual tourism. The government is preparing to conduct the 2027 Pushkaralu on a large scale following the recent Saraswati Antyapushkaralu at Kaleshwaram.
Officials expect a large influx of devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka to take a holy dip in the Godavari at various locations across Telangana. The Gudem temple, situated near the river, is a key pilgrimage point along with Rayapatnam in Jagtial district and attracts devotees visiting Dharmapuri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhatti said the government had allocated Rs 2,216 crore for temple development over the past two years, including Rs 1,000 crore for the 2027 Pushkaralu and Rs 802 crore for temple development and beautification along the Basar-Bhadrachalam stretch. He said the works at Gudem were initiated within weeks of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announcing funds and that the temple would be developed as a major spiritual destination.
Devotees highlighted the need for basic facilities at the temple. A visitor from Rajaram village in Dharmapuri mandal said accommodation for pilgrims was required, noting that there were no nearby towns and that large crowds were expected during the Pushkaralu.
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