RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/VISAKHAPATNAM: Close on the heels of vandalism of an idol at Ramatheertham temple in Vizianagaram district, two more such incidents took place in the State, one each in Rajamahendravaram of East Godavari district and Paderu of Visakhapatnam district, evoking a public outcry. In the small hours of Friday, unidentified miscreants targeted the Lord Vinayaka temple at Sriram Nagar area in Rajamahendravaram. The temple priest found the vandalised idol of Subramanyeswara Swamy when he opened the temple on Friday morning for rituals.
It happened hours after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy condemned the desecration of the idol in Ramatheertham of Vizianagaram district and directed the police department to initiate stern action.Horrified at seeing the broken hands of the idol, priest Murali Krishna immediately alerted temple trustee and TDP leader Ganni Krishna. Later, he alerted the police. On receiving the information about vandalisation in the temple, Rajamahendravaram central zone DSP Santosh and Circle Inspector Durga Prasad along with clue teams went to the spot. DSP Santosh said special teams have been formed and clue teams have been pressed into service to nab the culprits. “We are probing the case from all angles. As of now, we have not made any arrest,” he informed.
As the news of vandalism in the temple spread, devotees gathered at the temple and raised slogans against the State government and chanted ‘Jai Sriram’. They demanded that the culprits be brought to book immediately. Kamalananda Bharati of the Temples Protection Committee demanded that the State government hand over the case to the CBI. Temple Trustee Gannni Krishna questioned the silence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on the attacks on temples.
Meanwhile, sacred feet (padalu) of a village goddess, Komalamma, were reportedly vandalised in Paderu Ghat Road in Visakhapatnam district. The incident came to light when some new year revellers noticed that Komalamma padalu were vandalised and posted its photos on social media. Komalamma Padalu is on the ghat road close to Vantimamidi near Paderu. It is adjacent to the popular Modakondamma temple.
Paderu police visited the place and registered a case. They said ‘Ammavari padalu’ might have been damaged by a vehicle since it was close to the road, where there is a hairpin bend. The police said the adjacent retaining wall was also damaged. However, police are investigating the case to ascertain whether it was damaged by a vehicle or vandalised by some miscreants. According to the tradition, devotees first offer prayers to Modakondamma and then seek blessings from Komalamma, her younger sister.
Modakondamma is the main tribal deity of the region and the annual festival at the temple is said to be the biggest tribal goddess fete. After the chariot fire incident at Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi, some idols in the temple of Puruhutika Devi in Pithapuram were vandalised and a temple of Saibaba was burgled in Indukurpet of Devipatnam mandal. An idol of Lord Ganesh was also vandalised in Pidimgoyyi village near Rajamahendravaram in September last.