President inaugurates Srisailam Temple Development Project and a Tourism Facilitation Center in Andhra Pradesh

Tags: State News

President Draupadi Murmu on December 27 inaugurated Srisailam temple development project and a tourism facilitation center under the scheme 'Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD)' at Srisailam Temple in Andhra Pradesh.

Important facts

• The project has been sanctioned and executed under the PRASAD scheme.

• The project "Development of Srisailam Temple in the State of Andhra Pradesh" has been completed at a cost of Rs.43.08 crore. The project is 100 percent funded by the Ministry of Tourism.

• The components executed in the project include amphitheatre, illumination and sound and light show, digital intervention, tourist facilitation centre, parking area, changing rooms, toilet complex, souvenir shops, food court, ATM and banking facility.

• These interventions are aimed at making Srisailam Temple a world-class pilgrimage and tourist destination by providing state-of-the-art facilities for the visitors.

About PRASAD scheme

• The scheme was launched in the year 2014-2015, It comes under the Ministry of Tourism. 

• The scheme focuses on the development and identification of pilgrimage sites across India to enrich the religious tourism scene.

• Under this scheme, several religious places like Amaravati and Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Kamakhya (Assam), Parashuram Kund (Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), etc. have been identified for development.

• The scheme aims to harness pilgrimage tourism to its multiplier effect and have a direct impact on employment generation and economic growth.

About Srisailam Temple

• Mallikarjuna Temple or Srisailam Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. It is located at Srisailam in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

• It is considered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Here Parvati is worshipped as "Mallika" and Shiva is worshipped as "Arjuna", represented by a lingam.

• According to the epigraphical evidence of the Satavahana dynasty, this temple has been in existence since the 2nd century.