VIJAYAWADA:Panic gripped devotees on the Ghat Road, leading to the Goddess Kanaka Durga Temple, Indrakeeladri on Tuesday, as they spotted a five-foot-long snake there.The snake was noticed at around 11 am, when the queues of devotees thronged the hill to offer prayers to the Goddess on the occasion of Kanuma festival.
The devotees, who spotted the snake raised an alarm. Panick prevailed for some time as the snake tried to find its way into the temple premises.The snake however, did not do any harm and by the time the alerted temple authorities came to the spot to rid the place of the snake, it had disappeared into the hills.
It could be recalled that in a similar incident, two months ago, a snake caused a flutter on the Ghat Road. In that case the temple authorities alerted the forest officials and the snake was shifted to the forest area safely.
Due to repeated sighting of snakes on the Ghat Road, devotees are urging the temple authorities to erect necessary fencing between the hill rocks and the Ghat Road to prevent entry of venomous snakes from the hills.“It has become a routine affair for the devotees to notice snakes on the hill, especially on the lawn adjacent to the Ghat Road. The temple authorities should ensure that snakes no more venture into the Ghat Road,” said K Mallikharjuna Rao, a devotee from Tenali.
The temple officials said that depletion of greenery on the hill was the main reason behind snakes regularly venturing into the Ghat Road.“Measures will be taken to put up iron fencing between the hill rocks and the Ghat Road to prevent the venomous snakes from coming near the temple premises,” an official said.