The housewarming ceremony was organised by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao
Last month, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao or "KCR" organized a grand housewarming ceremony for his palatial new home in Hyderabad. This morning, he attended a mass housewarming performed by 600 priests from across the state.
Close to 600 two-bedroom homes were handed out as part of KCR's big election promise for Erravelli and Narsannapet, two villages he adopted in 2014.
KCR and some ministers joined the rituals precisely at 7.45 am, as advised by priests. Head priest Seenu Gopal Sharma presided over the ceremonies, along with hundreds of Veda Pandits.
Each house costs a little over five lakh rupees and the budget for the pilot project in the two villages was around Rs 30 crore. This is the first batch of homes KCR promised two years ago to the poorest.
Though the houses are not fully ready, the Chief Minister reportedly wanted the ceremonies to be done before December 28, when an inauspicious month begins according to some beliefs.
Besides, added officials, the families need to move into the homes as the weather is getting chillier.
So although 25 per cent of the work - roads, tap water connections and electrical fans and lights - is pending, officials said the houses are just right for the families to move in now.
Besides the neat row of houses and a park, the families will also get a bonus - two buffaloes and ten poultry birds each.
On November 24, KCR moved into his nine-acre home to chanting by Vedic priests. Every aspect of the mansion has been examined by experts in Vaastu or feng shui.
Officials said this is the first relocation and reconstruction of two villages done on a massive scale in India.
KCR announced that both villages will also become "cashless" soon after the construction is complete. "There is still some work left. But our next aim should be to make the two villages cashless," he said.