Row over Vakula Matha idol at Tirumala

Is the idol at a shrine at Pothu not that of Vakula Matha? Chennai: Is the idol located in a small shrine at the Potu � main kitchen of the Lord Venkateswara temple � not that of Vakula Matha as the temple history puts it? According to V A K Ranga Rao, a musicologist and research scholar of music and dance, the idol must be that of Padmavathi not Vakula Matha as is generally believed. Speaking at a literary programme 'Taratarala Telugu Kavitha' orgnaized by Veda Vignana Vedika at Andhra Social Cultural Association in Chennai on Sunday evening Ranga Rao disclosed this and cited some keerthans of Annamayya to support his argument. In one 'keerthana', the deity in the shrine addresses the lord as 'Vibhudu' (husband) not Suthudu (not son). If the idol is really of Vakula Matha, how can she address the lord as 'vibhudu,' asks Ranga Rao. When asked how it remained unnoticed all these years, Ranga Rao quips that in spite of his efforts to rectify this anomaly by citing historic facts, the authorities did not show any interest. Now VAK's disclosure unveils a new controversy over Tirumala temple. According to mythology, Vakula Matha gave shelter and treated Lord Venkateswara after he descended from Vaikutam in search of Lakshmi Devi.