Even as the ancient Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple at Mattapalli in the district was completely submerged by floodwaters on Sunday, priests performed the “Krishnaveni pooja” on the banks of the Krishna to calm down the river.
On Saturday, the main temple, including subsidiary temples and the yagnashala, and bathing ghats on the banks of the river, were partially inundated. But, on Sunday, the floodwaters further engulfed the area, submerging the entire temple barring the gopuram.
Shifted to relief camp
The authorities have shifted more than 500 villagers to a relief camp in a nearby school. Ornaments and other valuable belongings, including the hundis, of the temple deity, were taken to a secure place in the village.
As the daily rituals were affected at the temple, the priests performed poojas to the processional deities at a choultry. They conducted theKrishnaveni pooja on the banks of the swollen Krishna to appease the river goddess.
“Though the temple faced floods in 1998, the enormity of the problem is more this time,” said the main priest, Ch. Padmanabhacharyulu.
He told The Hindu that special poojas and rituals were performed seeking the blessings of the river goddess to help ease the situation. “We would perform samprokshanam at the temple once the floodwaters recede,” he said.
Miryalaguda Revenue Divisional Officer Sanjeeva Reddy said special teams comprising swimmers, headed by the mandal tahsildar, were deployed on the banks of the river to monitor the flood situation.
