KARIMNAGAR: In the wake of the broad daylight murder of a youth in at Taapala Laxminarsimha Swamy temple at LMD Colony in Thimmapur mandal, the temple authorities have banned marriages of lovers in the temple.
The temple committee on Tuesday erected a flexi banner “Prema Vivaahaalu Nishedinichadamainadi” (Love marriages are prohibited), outside the temple.
The move has come after the police insisted that the temple committee display such a message. Mahankali Anil was murdered in the temple for marrying Hastapuram Mounika against the wishes of the bride’s family recently.
Temple committee in-charge S Venkat Reddy told Express that on the direction of police the ban had been in place since October 19, the day Anil was murdered.
Interestingly, due to the decision of the committee, the temple has been losing its revenue. The temple used to collect `5,000 from each couple for performing marriage and this was a major source of revenue for the temple. Several young couples from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana married in this temple, which is also known as temple of lovers.