Governor visits Lepakshi temple

Anantapuramu: Governor E S L Narasimhan and his wife Vimala on Thursday visited the Veerabhadra Swamy Temple at Lepakshi in Anantapur district during a day-long visit. He was given a ‘purna kumbha’ welcome and briefed by guides and priests about the temple, which was developed during the regime of the Vijayanagar kings.

It was akin to the famous Thousand Pillar temple in Warangal district, they stated. The governor, who saw the reputed Nandi, recalled visiting the temple in 1971. He also went round the Kirikiri silk industry. Later talking to the media, along with Collector Lokesh Kumar, the Governor said that he would take to the State government’s notice the need for developing Lepakshi as a reputed tourism centre. He would address the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on June 19. Joint Collector Satyanarayana, SP Senthil Kumar, RDO Venkatesham, DSP Subba Rao, temple EO Mallikarjun, and a representative of the Archaeology department Ch Babji Rao were among those who welcomed the Governor. APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy and Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna called on the Governor at Raksh Guest House. Later the Governor left by road for Bengaluru airport.