Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy has attributed a sharp rise in temple revenue and pilgrim footfall in Andhra Pradesh over the past two years to the keen interest of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in temple tourism.
Temples maintained by the State Endowments department recorded an improvement in pilgrim footfall over the last two years, which translated into growth in Hundi collections. The period coincides with the NDA government’s two-year tenure in the State.
Apart from the temples governed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), an autonomous body, other major shrines are categorised as major and minor, and administered by officials of the Joint Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner cadres.
Repairs and renovation in scores of temples, along with improved amenities such as Prasadam distribution, waiting halls, shelter and public toilets, contributed to a sharp rise in footfall at several major temples.
Srisailam was the biggest beneficiary. The temple’s revenue rose from ₹178.8 crore in 2023-24 to ₹199.9 crore in 2024-25, and ₹217.2 crore in 2025-26.
Footfall at the Srisailam temple grew from 82.18 lakh in 2023-24 to 101.51 lakh in 2024-25, and 119.71 lakh in 2025-26.
After Srisailam, the temples that recorded growth in both revenue and footfall were the Sri Kanakadurga temple in Vijayawada, the Srikalahastheeswara Swami temple in Srikalahasti, the Simhachalam Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple in Visakhapatnam, the Annavaram Sri Satyanarayana Swami temple in Kakinada and the Dwaraka Tirumala temple in West Godavari.
Among the temples governed by Deputy Commissioner cadre officials, the revenue of the Lova temple in Kakinada district more than doubled, from ₹23.09 crore in 2023-24 to ₹56.48 crore in 2025-26.
The Mahanandi, Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi, Penchalakona, Mopidevi and Kadiri Narasimha Swami temples also recorded a sharp rise in revenue.
“The NDA government is committed to restoring the lost glory in all the temples. Devotees expect decent infrastructure and basic amenities at any temple, which we have provided over the last two years. Hence the visible result,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu
The minister attributed the rise in turnout to the reformative measures initiated by the government, and particularly to the keen interest shown by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in boosting temple tourism in the State.
He said he hoped that the inflow of devotees from the neighbouring States would continue to rise.
Published – May 13, 2026 02:25 pm IST
