The Lord Venkateswara Tirupati Balaji Temple under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust, Kurukshetra, was opened to public on 1 July.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was present on the occasion and said the temple would become a hub of religious tourism now, as devotees, especially from north India, would not be required to go to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to offer puja to Lord Venkateswara.
Built near the Brahma Sarovar and spread over 5.52 acres, it’s the biggest temple in north India. Out of the total budget of Rs 34 crore, Rs 18 crore has already been spent on the construction of the project, according to an official statement. It said 1,500 tonnes of graphite brought from Tamil Nadu was used to complete the miniature replica of the famous Tirupati Balaji temple.
The temple premises will also house staff quarters, an Annaprasadam Complex and a pilgrim amenities centre, according to the TTD Trust.
The chief minister said with the construction of this temple, Haryana would also be known at the international level for pilgrimage to Balaji.
Earlier, the CM, along with Haryana Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Kumar Bedi, Thanesar MLA Subhash Sudha and others performed a ‘puja’ amid chants by scholar Srinivasa from Andhra Pradesh.
The temple will remain open from 6 am to 9 pm for the pilgrims.
A local committee has been constituted to manage the affairs of the temple.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust is coming up with a Lord Venkateswara Tirupati Balaji Temple each in Kanyakumari, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata too. Besides, a Goddess Sri Padmavathi temple is being built in Chennai.