Antarvedi (Andhra Pradesh), Feb 19 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate the new chariot built for the Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple at Antarvedi village in East Godavari district on Friday.

The new chariot, built at a cost of Rs 90 lakh, is ready in time for the temple's popular Kalyanostavam starting Friday.

On Thursday, East Godavari district collector Muralidhar Reddy, superintendent of police Adnan Syed Asmi and other senior officials reviewed the arrangements for the Chief Minister's visit.

Joining several other locals amid religious chants, the officials pulled the chariot for a little distance using a large rope to ensure that everything is in place.

Reddy is expected to take a look at the old chariot as well on Friday when he comes to participate in the Kalyanostavam.

The decades old chariot got gutted in a fire in September 2020 for unknown reasons, leading to an uproar across the state and prompting the government to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Without wasting time, the state government started the procedure for building a new wooden chariot which is almost similar to the old one and is ready for the occasion now.