Devotees overcharged at Cheruvugattu temple

Nalgonda: In addition to the inadequate facilities, filthy and slushy surroundings, the devotees have to put up with the exorbitant prices at the hill shrine of Cheruvugattu Jadala Ramalingeswara Swamy temple in the district. Jadala Ramalingeswara Swamy temple located on a hill at Cheruvugattu village in Narketpally mandal is one of the major shaivite temple and generally termed as second Srisailam. It is also the second biggest temple in terms of revenue and devotees rush after Yadadri.

More than 50 thousand devotees would throng the temple on every Amavasya day following a famous belief that visiting this temple on the auspicious day would solve all their problems. On regular days also, the temple witness heavy rush and it will be more on Monday, an auspicious day for Lord Shiva.
The Cheruvugattu temple would become the main temple in Nalgonda district after the reorganisation of districts.

But despite all these specialties and a good revenue of about Rs nine crore through various means, it was criticised that the temple authorities failed to provide minimum facilities to the devotees. Taking advantage of the officials’ apathy, shop owners and coconut vendors are collecting extra amount for the goods than the prescribed price. Each coconut is being sold at Rs 25 and it would go up to Rs 30 on Amavasya and other auspicious days.

The shop owners have doubled the price of water bottles during rush days. Even for using the toilets, pilgrims have to pay Rs 10 instead of regular payment of Rs two. The temple authorities were turning a blind eye towards the shop owners’ violation of rules, who get the shops through tender.

The temple authorities have also failed to even provide drinking water facility to devotees on hill shrine. The promises made by Nakrekal MLA Vemula Veeresham to develop the temple were remained as empty words.

Speaking to The Hans India, a devotee K Shekar, native of Vangamarthy, said that he had to buy one litre water bottle by paying Rs 30 as there were no proper drinking water facilities. It was found during a visit by The Hans India reported that the staff working in the temple kitchen were not wearing hand gloves and head caps while preparing laddu and pulihora for sale at prasadams counter.

Apart from these, the devotees are facing accommodation problem. They have to pay extra to temple employees to get accommodation in temple choultry.The temple Executive Officer, Manhoar Reddy, said they have engaged temporary staff for preparation of laddu prasadam during the festival time keeping in mind the high demand. It has come to his notice that they were not taking safety measures like using hand gloves etc due to heat in the kitchen.

Forthwith, serious action would be taken against such staff. The Executive Officer also said that action would be taken against the shop owners, if they found them collecting extra amount for the goods more than the MRP. Devotees were being allotted rooms in the newly constructed Ganga Sadan choultry on regular and Amavasya days.