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Temple tourism plans go awry
Excessive interference of officials and politicians in the temple affairs are reportedly strangling the State government’s ambitious plan to promote temple tourism.
Hyderabad: Excessive interference of officials and politicians in the temple affairs are reportedly strangling the State government’s ambitious plan to promote temple tourism.
According to sources in the Endowments Department, “There are growing differences among the politically-appointed governing body members, executive staff and priests setting in unwarranted trends in the temples.”
- Nominated officials accused of fostering VIP culture
- Differences between members of temple governing bodies and priests sets in unwarranted trends
- Encroachment of temple lands goes unabated
Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official of Endowments Department from Kurnool district on condition of anonymity said that Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple located in Allagadda owns about 6,000 acres of lands but only around a mere 150 acres all what has been left now.
“Of nearly 26 acres located in the vicinity of temple, around 15 acres has been encroached. Encroachment of temple lands has been abetted by the local politicians, cutting across the party-lines,” he informed.
Recently, the temple officials had issued notices to the encroachers to vacate the lands occupied but the land grabbers in turn armed with sticks and ransacked the office of the executive officer and torched the house of an administrative officer. It should be noted that it was not first time that encroachers backed by politicians attacked the officials, he added.
“Higher ups in the department just asked, whether we have filed a police complaint and washed their hands,” the source added.
Such incidents have been creating law and order problem disturbing the serenity in temple towns.
On the other hand, some executive officials have been making their own rules encouraging the VIP culture, making the pilgrims suffers with their discriminatory practices.
Srikalahasti temple that shot into prominence for ‘Rahu Ketu Puja’ has been coming under sharp criticism for giving preferential treatment to IAS, IPS, Ministers, MLAs, film stars.
According to temple sources, “The pilgrims purchase a puja ticket of Rs 2,500. However, they were asked to perform puja in a Mantapam near Vinayaka temple, but in case of IAS, IPS officers, Ministers, MLAs, judges and other VIPs, the temple allows perform Puja right at the Sahasralingeswara idol.”
When asked, the temple Executive Officer Bhramaramba denied discriminating the pilgrims. “The number of pilgrims coming to perform Rahu-Ketu Puja shot up and there is no space to accommodate to everyone at Sahsralingeswara idol. It was for this reason that the puja has been moved to the Mantapam after consulting the priests,” she added.
Further, Rahu-Ketu Puja at Sahasralingeswara idol was reportedly introduced to boost the revenue of the temple. This has now turned out into a head ache for the temple officials.
Responding on the goings on in the temple affairs, a senior official admitted that issues like discrimination of ordinary pilgrims would be a potential problem in the promotion of temple tourism in the State.
