Gold-plating of Sri Govindaraja temple in Tirupati to gain pace

TIRUPATI

The gold plating work taken up by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple’s ‘Alaya Vimana Gopuram’, the canopy over the sanctum sanctorum, is set to gain pace, going by the instructions given by the higher officials.

As many as 50 goldsmiths are currently engaged in making gold plates meant to be affixed to the canopy. TTD Joint Executive Officer V. Veerabrahmam, during his visit to the jewellery section on Wednesday along with Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer O. Balaji and Chief Engineer Nageswara Rao, found the need for five workshops to be placed at the disposal of the goldsmiths to hasten the process. He also visited the place where ‘Panchaloha’ idols are prepared and suggested to the engineering officials to make the room spacious and airy.

The team also visited ‘Old Huzur Office’, the near-dilapidated building located behind Sri Govindaraja temple, which once served as the administrative headquarters of the TTD. The official wanted the building to be restored to a usable condition at the earliest.