Naidu wants 5,000 Venkateswara temples in Andhra; Mauritius, New Zealand want theirs, he says

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) proposed building temples dedicated to Lord Venkateswara in cities across the world with sizeable Hindu populations, saying the spiritual and cultural legacy of Tirumala had to be passed on to future generations.

The government had already received requests for such temples from countries such as Mauritius and New Zealand, he said. Reviewing the functioning and development plans of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) with its Chairman and officials, and Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, he said the government was working to make temples centres of spirituality.

He proposed the construction of 5,000 Venkateswara temples across the State under the TTD’s ‘Srivani’ scheme. Old temples would also be renovated, and Srivari Sevaks would be associated with the initiative. More than 12 lakh people had registered as Sevaks across the State so far, he said.

Mr. Naidu said TTD-linked hospitals, including the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), the Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD), the Ruia hospital and the children’s hospital, would be integrated to provide comprehensive medical care.

Doctors would be encouraged to serve as Srivari Sevaks under the principle of ‘service to humanity is service to God‘. The TTD’s education system would also be restructured to impart skills and improve students’ employment prospects.

The Chief Minister said the TTD had ₹3,165 crore in its Annadanam Trust, ₹191 crore under Pranadanam and ₹240 crore under BIRRD, and that measures would be taken to strengthen food and healthcare services. He said Tirumala’s development would be pursued through six programmes, including Vruksha Govindam, conservation of water cascading from the seven hills and measures to recharge groundwater.

Tirumala and Tirupati would be developed on a net-zero model, with solar and wind power, battery storage, rooftop solar panels and zero-waste practices. He said Tirumala, with a temple tradition dating back about 2,300 years, should emerge as a global model for cleanliness, environmental protection and pilgrim management.

On infrastructure, Mr. Naidu said a skywalk linking Tirupati railway station and the bus stand was proposed with Central assistance, and a multi-storeyed parking facility was planned on 50 acres in Tirupati. The government would spend ₹230 crore to provide house sites to 5,192 employees, and ₹90 crore was being spent on a court complex.

Mr. Naidu said Tirupati would soon develop into a major economic and service hub and emerge as a wedding destination. Recalling the severe drought of November 1999, Mr. Naidu said a pipeline from the Kalyani reservoir had been laid in less than 100 days to ensure drinking water supply to Tirumala.

Water would also be brought to Tirupati from Somasila, Kandaleru and Balaji Sagar and later diverted to Tirumala to meet the drinking water requirements of the pilgrim town permanently.