KAMAREDDY: What began as an unbearable loss for one young couple in Kamareddy has transformed into a story of remembrance, devotion, and community spirit.
Two years ago, software engineer Praveen Kumar and his wife Menge Alka lost someone central to their lives — Alka’s father, Menge Hanumanth Rao.
Known in Dongli village for his lively presence and deep reverence at a small temple on the family’s agricultural land along the Dongli–Kurla Road, Hanumanth Rao’s passing on July 21, 2023, left a void that words could not fill.
For Alka, the grief was overwhelming. Soon after her father’s burial on their farmland, she sank into depression, her days haunted by memories and her nights by sleepless sorrow. Praveen, working from Hyderabad at the time, tried to offer comfort — but he saw that her heart longed for something more than words could provide: a way to keep her father’s spirit alive in the place he loved.
That wish soon took shape. Together, they decided to build not one, but two temples on their land — each a unique homage to her father’s life and beliefs.
The first was a Lord Shiva temple, erected on the very spot where Hanumanth Rao was laid to rest. For its sacred centrepiece, they had a black granite Shivalingam brought all the way from Kotappakonda in Guntur district. Skilled labourers from the same village crafted and installed it, ensuring it bore the purity and craftsmanship worthy of the site.
The second, more unusual creation, was a silicon statue of Hanumanth Rao himself — portrayed gently reclining on a jhoola (traditional swing) inside a glass-walled room adorned with flowers and lights. Crafted painstakingly in Mumbai for about Rs 10 lakh, the life-like sculpture has become not just a personal keepsake but a point of curiosity and admiration for villagers and visitors alike.
“We should treat our parents with respect, and their memories should reside in our hearts to guide us,” Alka told TNIE over the phone. “One day, they will leave us, but we must cherish their memories and follow in their footsteps.”
Every Monday, Praveen and Alka now perform pujas at these spots, turning their private grief into a public symbol of love and reverence. For Praveen, who continues to work from home, the temples are also a promise — to keep his uncle’s dreams alive, to be there for those in need, and to live by the values passed down.
In an unexpected turn, the couple chose to leave city life behind altogether. They have settled permanently in Dongli, devoting themselves to agriculture and livestock rearing. Praveen plans to lease 30 acres for cultivation, convinced that walking the paths their elders once walked is the truest way to find a “happy and fulfilling life.”
Today, in Dongli village, the Shiva temple and Hanumanth Rao’s serene figure on the swing greet every passer-by. For the community, they are no longer just memorials — they are reminders that love, when expressed as action, can bridge even the greatest of losses.