Jammu, 08 June (Hindustan Times). The portals of the Tirupati Balaji temple, situated amidst the beautiful Shivalik forests at Majin in Sidhda, on the outskirts of Jammu district, were thrown open to devotees on Thursday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the people for the opening of the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy through virtual means.
Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha inaugurated the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Jammu in the presence of Union Ministers Jitendra Singh and G Kishan Reddy. Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma and other administrative officers were also present on the occasion. Tirupati Balaji Temple, built on 62 acres of land in the beautiful Shivalik forests, is set to become one of the biggest temples in the Jammu region, which is expected to give a boost to religious and pilgrimage tourism in the Union Territory.
Although the temple was to be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he could not be a part of the event due to some reason. Addressing the program through virtual medium, Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the people on the opening of the doors of the temple. He said that whenever he would visit the state, he would definitely come to this temple to have darshan of God.
The temple of Tirupati Balaji has been built at a cost of 32 crores on 62 acres of land in Majin village of Sidda. Earlier on Wednesday, eight and six feet idols of Lord Venkateswara were installed in the temple. Around 45 scholars from Andhra Pradesh performed the rituals and performed the consecration with Vedic mantras. Granite has been used in the making of the idol. These idols have been brought from Guntur city of Andhra Pradesh.
This temple has been built on the lines of Tirupati Balaji temple. It is very important from the point of view of religious tourism in Jammu city. Devotees who visit Maa Vaishno Devi will now also be able to visit Tirupati Balaji in Jammu. With this increase in religious tourism, local people will also get employment.
The Tirupati Balaji Temple is built by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthan Board. In the first phase, Lord Balaji’s temple, accommodation for priests and board staff, toilets and parking were built. In the second phase, Ved Pathshala, spiritual center will be made. More than 50 artisans from Andhra Pradesh alone have built the temple.
