Tirupati: A colossal replica of the Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirumala built in Telangana capital Hyderabad was thrown open to devotees Wednesday.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which governs the over 2000 Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirumala near here, has built the replica temple at a cost of Rs.20 crore on a 3.5-acre site in the posh Jubilee Hills area in Hyderabad, a temple official told to News Agency here.
After priests performed special rituals, including Mahakumbabhishekam (consecration) at the crack of dawn, that the devotees were allowed to offer prayers at the new shrine.
Early in 2014 when Congress was at the helm of affairs in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, the TTD had decided to build a Lord Venkateswara temple in Hyderabad.