VIJAYAWADA: A gold crown donated to Lord Venkateswara Swamy in a temple located in Gudivada by an elderly couple was allegedly pledged by the temple committee without the knowledge of the donors.
The incident happened in Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Devasthanam under Gudivada two -town police station limits and it has triggered outrage among devotees and local residents, who accused the committee of misusing offerings made to deity. After learning about the misuse of properties and offerings meant to the temple, donors and others lodged a complaint with police.
According to police, the elderly couple, Maturi Subbarao and Lakshmi Kumari, donated a 461-gram gold crown to Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Devasthanam in January 2025. The crown, specially designed with symbolic representations of the seven sacred hills of Tirumala, is currently estimated to be worth more than Rs 1 crore in the market.
However, temple committee members allegedly pledged the crown at a finance shop in the town for Rs 38 lakh. The donors stated that the crown itself was nearly of Rs 70 lakh.
The temple is reportedly being managed under the supervision of the Arya Vysya Kalyana Mandir Committee. Allegations have surfaced that committee chairman Mohan Rao and other members were involved in mortgaging the ornament. “The crown was donated in the presence of devotees during a grand ceremony and was meant solely for adorning the deity. Whenever we asked about the crown, temple authorities told us it was kept safely in a bank locker. Even during special occasions, the crown was not used for decoration, which raised our suspicion,” the couple said.
The donors alleged that no receipt was issued at the time of donation. “If they return my crown, I will donate it to another temple,” Subbarao said.
Meanwhile, special teams were formed to nab him. “We are verifying the records of other donations and their whereabouts,” said the inspector Haneesh.