KHAMMAM: The priests of Bhadrachalam Ramalayam are opposing the state government’s proposal to transfer priests. On Sunday, they met Bhadrachalam MLA Tellam Venkata Rao and submitted a memorandum.
The priests have urged the MLA and Endowment Minister Konda Surekha to reconsider the transfers, stating that such a decision goes against ‘agama sastram’ and has never been done in the past.
Sri Bhadrachala Sitarama Archaka Sangham has warned of plans to escalate the protest if the government proceeds with the proposal.
Ramalayam’s main priest Ramalayam Podicheti Seetaramanujacharyulu stated, “We are wondering how the government would take such a drastic decision. According to agama sastram, a priest should remain at the temple where they received their deeksha until retirement. He stressed that priests who perform pujas at a specific temple should not be eligible to perform them at other temples.”
He appealed to the government to withdraw the proposal, warning that implementing it would disrupt temple systems and damage agama and temple traditions.
Currently, 25 priests are serving at Ramalayam, with temple officials having distributed option forms to the priests, some of whom have opted to relocate while others have not.