On 4th June 2013, at Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari, a team of priests from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) performed the Bhoomi Puja for the construction of Sri Venkateswara Swamy Balaji Temple.
The temple will be constructed, over 4.5 acre of land donated by the Vivekananda Kendra, at an estimated cost of Rs 22.5 crore. It will have all the amenities and facilities on the lines of the temple at Tirupati including a temple for Goddess Padmavathi, Goshala (cow shed), Temple tank (Swami Pushkarini), Veda Pathasala (spiritual classes), Marriage hall, Potu (temple kitchen) besides Annadanam Bhavan (mass feeding centre).
During Bhoomi Puja, the priests rendered Maha Sankalpam in the Yagasala and performed Homam with Ganapathi Aradhana. After the Bhoomi Puja TTD Chairman Sri K Bapiraju and TTD Executive Officer Sri LV Subramanyam, in the presence of Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra Sri A. Balakrishnanji, Treasurer of Vivekananda Kendra Sri Hanumanthrao and several prominent Industrialists, Business men, leading citizens and devotees, laid the foundation stone for the series of construction works and named the place as ‘Tirupatipuram’.
The decision to build such a temple is the result of Srinivasa Thirukalyanam that was held in February 2010 at Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari where lakhs of devotees had attended the programme. Witnessing such a crowd, TTD had decided to construct the temple at Kanyakumari.This is the first time Tamil Nadu is to have such a temple.
