VEMULAWADA: Days after a major row erupted over her comments, and the fiasco in a police station on Sunday, Endowments and Forest Minister Konda Surekha found herself embroiled in yet another controversy after devotees complained that her visit to the Sri Rajarajeshwari Swami temple in Vemulawada led to the rituals being delayed.
Some devotees alleged that ‘Naivedyam’ and ‘Anna Puja’ rituals were delayed for about half-an-hour on Monday as the minister was performing puja to the presiding deity in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The minister visited the temple along with her family members for her grandson’s ‘Puttu Ventrukalu’ (tonsuring) ceremony.
According to temple rules, Monday being a ‘Dwadasi’, ‘Naivedyam’ and ‘Anna Puja’ rituals have to begin at 3 pm.
But as the minister and family were performing pujas at that time, ‘Naivedyam’ and ‘Anna Puja’ to the presiding deity could be done only at 3.30 pm, it is alleged. As if this were not enough, the driver of the minister pushed aside one of the temple’s main archakas, which led to a lot of heartburn among the devotees and archakas, devotees alleged.
EO denies allegations
However, temple executive officer (EO) K Vinod Reddy denied there was any delay. “When we informed her about the ‘Naivedyam’ and ‘Anna Puja’, Surekha came out of the sanctum sanctorum at 2.55 pm. Thereafter, archakas performed ‘Naivedyam’ and ‘Anna Puja’ to the deity,” Vinod Reddy said.
Later, speaking to media persons, the minister said that the state government will develop the temple on par with Yadadri. She said the chief minister was also very much interested in developing the temple.
The government was planning to carry out gold plating of the temple’s ‘vimana gopuram’ (temple tower) and ‘pallaki’ (palanquin). The processional deities (utsava vigrahalu) would be made from silver, the minister said.