VIJAYAWADA: The controversy surrounding the missing gold crown of Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple, located in Gudivada town of Krishna district, has been resolved after the temple committee members retrieved the ornament from a pawnbroker and handed it over to the police on Friday.
Following criticism from devotees and community organisations, the temple committee displayed the recovered crown at the Arya Vysya Kalyana Mandapam premises in Gudivada. Committee chairman Pokuri Mohana Rao said the crown would undergo ‘samprokshanam’ rituals before being adorned to the deity again.
Initially, committee members denied allegations that the crown had been pledged. However, after media reports and evidence surfaced, the chairman admitted that the ornament had indeed been mortgaged to arrange construction funds. He apologised to devotees and appealed to the public and donor family to forgive the committee for the mistake.
The issue came to light after the donor’s family alleged that the crown was missing.