The North Andhra Priests’ Association on Tuesday extended its support to the ‘archakas’ of the Srikurmam temple, saying that wax impressions of the presiding deity were collected only to arrange silver ornaments after a devotee, Ranga Rao, came forward to bear the expenditure. Representatives of the association alleged that the temple officials had made ‘archakas’ scapegoats though the chief priest collected impressions only after informing Executive Officer Prasad Patnaik.
Addressing a media conference, association’s general secretary Ayyavari Srinivasa Deekshitulu said, “Ornaments cannot be made without taking impressions of the deity.
The priests of Srikurmam temple have followed ‘Agama shastra rules and regulations in obtaining the impressions of Srikurmanatha Swamy. Officials are hiding facts only to save their skin and to show priests in poor light.”
‘Suspend EO’
A member of the Srikurmam priests’ family Syamaralla Suryanarayanacharyulu demanded that the Executive Officer be suspended immediately, alleging that he had misled everyone, including media personnel and locals.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Swabhiman Trust’s Srikakulam unit president Swami Srinivasananda, Sri Raghavendra Swamy temple trustee Baratam Kameswara Rao,
VHP leader S.Chandrasekhara Rao, and YSR Congress leaders — Yennu Dhanunjay and G. Narsunaidu — demanded that stern action be taken against officials and priests, as they had hurt the sentiments of the Hindus.
BJP leaders Pudi Tirupati Rao, Paidi Simhachalam, and Savvana Venkateswara Rao visited the temple on Tuesday and demanded that a high-level probe be ordered into the incident.
