Khammam: Covid-19 leads to erosion of income in Bhadrachalam temple

Khammam: The historical Sita Ramachandraswamy temple in Bhadrachalam, known as Ayodhya of south, perhaps for the first time is witnessing lockdown. The coronavirus, which has been making the world shake like a leaf, has led to cancellation of Ram Navami celebrations. The Covid-19 is likely to hit the temple revenue.Khammam:

According to source, not less than Rs 90 lakh a year goes towards salaries and pensions to the employees. The temple management depends on hundi income and the revenue generated through Seva tickets to pay salaries and pensions to the employees. The revenue from hundi, selling arjitha seva tickets and prasadam amounts to Rs 5 lakh a day. The revenue goes up to between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Lord Rama temple conducts two main festival every year. Mukkoti celebrations will be conducted in December and annual Bramothsavalu in Mach and April every year. Devotees donated money to meet the expenses for the festival. Neither the State government nor the Endowments Department make any contribution to meet the expenses for performing celebrations.

The temple income has already witnessed sharp fall for the last few month. Fewer devotees visit the temple with the Andhra Pradesh State government suspending boat services to Papikondalu. It has impacted on the number of visitors to Lord Rama temple.

The Covid-19 has further dented into the revenue of the temple for the last one week. The State government has cancelled the festival, scheduled to be held on April 2. The cancellation has in fact created shockwaves among the devotees.

Sources said the temple was able to garner income to the Rs Rs 44.90 lakh through selling tickets to devotes on the day when Navami celebrations were performed. In the last five years, the temple earned revenue of a little over Rs 1 crore by selling tickets on the day when the Navami celebrations are performed. The temple is deprived of the revenue this year.

The temple Executive Officer G Narasimhul, while speaking to The Hans India on Friday, said the coronavirus dented into the revenue of the temple. An action plan to execute development works at an estimated cost Rs 1.50 was prepared. In fact, 25 per cent of works were already executed. Apart from it, the temple management had spent Rs 30 lakh for arrangements to celebrate Navami.

He said now the kalayam will be conducted in the main temple without devotees. The priests will conduct the event to the main idols of Lord Rama as per tradition, he said.