Emotions continued to boil over body found recently in water tank atop Indrakeeladri, abode of goddess Kanaka Durga, here on Thursday.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vied for their share in drawing attention of devotees at the temple. The BJP city leaders staged a sit in protest, while the TDP leaders went around the temple interacting with devotees and officials on the issue.
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam authorities, notwithstanding the protests, conducted ‘Prayaschitta poorvaka samprokshana homam' to ward off the ill effects of appearance of body on the hill shrine. Noted scholar Madugula Nagaphani Sarma and Brahmachary Siva swami took part in the rituals.
On the occasion, they expressed the view that the agni (fire) and jalam (water) have power to burn away the ill effects. The temple authorities have taken appropriate decision to conduct the homam, they said.
The temple priests sprinkled the holy water from kalasam all over the temple precincts. The priests had performed punyahvachana, santi homam and other Vedic rituals immediately after the body was fished out from the water tank on Monday. The uproar over the sanctity of the temple continued as the political parties and voluntary organisations trained their guns at temple authorities.
The BJP city president Kothamasu Pitchaiah, State secretary Laka Vengalrao Yadav and others stressed on the need for appointment of an IAS officer as Executive Officer of the temple to set the things right.
Mylavaram MLA and TDP district president Devineni Umamaheswara Rao alleged that the temple officials were more concerned about the revenues than sentiments of devotees and security of the temple. The temple needs to beef up the security. The SPF and police have to be more vigilant, he added.
The TDP Vijayawada (West) incharge Buddha Venkanna and others were present.
