Our Temple

Temple History

Built by a railway community. Sustained by generations of devotion.

Foundation plaque

1977

Established 30 October 1977

Sri Sri Venkateswara Temple, Rail Bazaar, Alipurduar Junction. The Golden Jubilee falls in 2027.

The Beginning

The Beginning

Sri Sri Venkateswara Temple at Rail Bazaar, Alipurduar Junction, was established on 30 October 1977.

The date comes from the foundation plaque at the temple. It is the public record of beginning used on this website. A separate consecration date is not stated here.

Community

A Temple Built by the Railway Community

Its story is inseparable from the railway community of Alipurduar. Employees and families who had travelled to North Bengal from different parts of India came together through devotion to Lord Venkateswara. Through their contributions, service and collective determination, they created a sacred home beside the railway lines.

The temple became more than a place of worship. It offered railway families a sense of continuity, brought people of different languages together and introduced generations of devotees in North Bengal to the worship of Lord Venkateswara.

They did not merely construct a building. They created a sacred inheritance.

The inscription

Establishment in 1977

The plaque is shown in its original portrait orientation so that every name remains visible.

Foundation plaque recording the establishment of Sri Sri Venkateswara Temple on 30 October 1977 and honouring its founding members.

Names on this page have been transcribed from the original inscription. Some spellings are being cross-checked with temple records and founding families.

The inscription

Founding Members

The following names are transcribed from the foundation plaque installed at the temple. Spellings are reproduced as they appear on the inscription and will be cross-checked against surviving temple records and family testimonies.

Names on this page have been transcribed from the original inscription. Some spellings are being cross-checked with temple records and founding families.

  • P. S. Rao

  • B. M. M. Rao

  • B. S. S. Rao

  • N. Tirupathia

  • Chaka Venkata Chalam

  • Khokan Mukherjee

  • Goda Sambasiva Rao

  • Pativada Appannya

  • Maddu Naidu

  • Penta Jagannadham

  • Vasanta Tata Rao

  • Dummisi Sanyasi

  • Kankanala Suribabu

  • Vankara Demudu

  • Vechalapu Pentaiyya

  • Teppala Jaga Rao

  • Saripelli Joga Rao

  • Siyyadri Appa Rao–I

  • Gali Narayana

  • Mamidi Musalayya

  • Dummisi Demudu

  • Vasanta Demudu–II

  • Kamakula Laxman Rao

  • Kudara Polipelli

  • Metturi Bairagi

  • Kakara Chilku

The inscription

Co-Founding Members

  • Kapu Naidu

  • Pativada Dalaiyya

  • Vechalapu Somaraju

  • Juttada Simachalam

  • Moyya Kamraju

Remembered with caution

Sri Murali Mohan Banda

Sri Murali Mohan Banda served the Indian Railways in Alipurduar, participated in the temple’s construction and later served as a trustee. His recollections form an important part of the history now being documented.

His name is not added to the engraved founder list, because it does not appear on the foundation plaque.

1977–2027

Fifty Years of Worship and Community

As the temple approaches its Golden Jubilee in 2027, we honour those whose faith and labour made this sacred institution possible. The commemorative year follows the recorded establishment of 30 October 1977.

The archive

Preserving the Temple’s Memories

The foundation plaque preserves the names of those who created the temple, but many personal stories remain with families. We invite founding families, former railway employees and long-time residents of Alipurduar to share photographs, letters, recollections and biographical information. Every contribution will be verified before publication.

Write to the archive

Enquiry type: Temple history or photographs

10 digits, starting 6–9. +91 is accepted.

File upload is not available on this website. After you write, the office can arrange how a photograph should be sent.