Soon after Sachin Tendulkar decided to adopt a village in Nellore, under Narendra Modi’s ‘Samsad Adarsh Grama Yojana’ Chiranjeevi from south decided to follow suit and is going to adopt Perupalem village in West Godavari district, newly formed Seema Andhra.

He will be making due efforts to develop medical, housing and water facilities in the village. Chiranjeevi will be visiting the place soon and forsee the facilities himself.

Village Raval, the birthplace of Radha, the consort of Lord Krishna, has been adopted by BJP MP and actor Hema Malini.

The decision is likely to end years of neglect of the Uttar Pradesh village across the river Yamuna. It is one of the 179 villages in Mathura district. While other shrines in the region are visited by Krishna devotees, there are hardly any visitors to Raval.

Asked why she picked Raval, Hema Malini told AZINS: "The reasons were both practical and emotional."

She asked the villagers to focus on education, cleanliness, medi-care and "nashabandi" -- abstaining from liquor and drug addiction.

"No one has thought of developing this village. I am determined to restore Raval to its original glory. The village will symbolize women's empowerment," she said.

Raval is located nine kilometres from Mathura. It has a population of about 4,500 people.

The village has a small temple and a garden dedicated to Radha. But few pilgrims visit the place as the entire focus has so far been on Vrindavan, the "leela bhoomi" of Lord Krishna, and Barsana.