Efforts are on at a tiny Kalleda village in this mandal of Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh to restore and shift centuries-old temples, thanks to an entrepreneur Errabelli Rammohan Rao.
Mr. Rammohan Rao, in association with the villagers, had earlier restored an ancient temple and rebuilt it at the centre of the village, which has been attracting scores of devotees from surrounding villages.
Now efforts are being made to relocate an abandoned and dilapidated Shiva temple built during the Kakatiya regime at Parvathagiri mandal headquarters.
Labourers with excavators and tractors are working round the clock to lay a road on a 150-metre high hillock to relocate the temple.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Rammohan Rao said they were enthused by the success of the earlier project.
It was not an easy task. It involves huge finances and the consent of villagers. “People now believe that such a thing can be done. Philanthropists have come forward to support the project. Prakash Pai and Anantha Pai of Hyderabad gave us Rs.30 lakh and Errabelli Varadarajeswar Rao gave us Rs.5 lakh. We are confident of raising an equal amount to complete the project costing nearly Rs.70 lakh,” he says.
Once relocated on the hillocks, it is expected to become a hotspot for tourists, with the sprawling lake below and a scenic view of all villages.
Mr. Rammohan Rao is a taskmaster who could turn things around for the village with his commitment. Over the years, he had convinced the villagers against open defecation and got two lavatories constructed at different locations.
He also developed a four-acre children's park and a five-acre forest. “My philosophy is one should not complain, but do something that one can do. If you are honest in your efforts, people will believe you sooner or later,” he said.
