VIJAYAWADA: Unidentified miscreants damaged a portion of the Nandi idol at the historic Kasi Visweswara Swamy temple at Makkapeta village in Vatasvayi mandal, Krishna district, late on Wednesday night. The incident came to light on Thursday morning, when the temple doors were opened for the day.
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"For many decades, my ancestors and family have been offering rituals in the temple and today, as usual, I came to the temple for performing daily rituals and found the temple doors partially opened. Yesterday evening I had closed the temple doors after completing rituals at 6:30 p.m. I immediately alerted the former chairman of the temple and others. Later I verified if any ornament or other valuables were lost. But to my horror, I found that the idol of Nandi was damaged," said the temple priest.
Following a complaint from the temple management, police rushed to the spot and started investigations. Vastavayi sub inspector SLR Someswara Rao, who registered a case under Section 427, 457 and 153 (a) of CrPC, said as the temple doesn't have a CCTV network, they have launched a probe based on the statements gathered from the temple priest and authorities.
Sources said that the Kakatiya rulers had installed the idol of Veerabhadra Swamy in the temple premises in the 12th century and used to offer special rituals.