Historical Nandi idol blasted

Santhanuthalapadu (Prakasam District): Chanduluri Sivapathrulu, the priest of Sri Yeleswara Swamy temple and the villagers of Kanaparti have demanded Naguluppalapadu police to identify the culprits, who blasted the historical Nandi idol on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday and punish them severely.

In a complaint to Naguluppalapadu police, priest Sivapathrulu explained that he is working in Sri Yeleswara Swamy temple for the past seven years and comes to the temple every day at 8 am and leaves around 6 pm, after lighting lamps. He said that after coming to the temple on Monday morning, he observed left side of Nandi idol was damaged and found out some black powder lying at some places in the temple. He also found a chisel near the idol.

The priest said that first he informed the matter to temple authorities and village elders and later to police.

The locals also informed the police that they observed a white colour car parked near the temple between 12 am to 1 am. Local YSRCP leader Trinath Reddy said that the place used to be a Buddhist monastery about 2,000 years ago and later converted into the Sivalayam during the rule of Chola dynasty. He suspected that miscreants might dig the temple premises in search of treasure, adding that they also tried to unearth Vinayaka idol at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum, but failed to move it.

Meanwhile, Samarasatha Foundation, Hindu Yuvasena, Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Samithi and other Hindu organisations staged a protest at Kanaparti on Monday demanding to arrest the culprits. They warned that they would block Ongole-Bapatla highway if the police fail to arrest the people involved in the crime and punish them as per law. BJP Ongole district president Sirasanagandla Srinivasulu condemned the attempt to damage the idols in the centuries-old temple.

He criticised that it was due to the failure of the government in learning a lesson from the earlier incidents and inability to provide enough security to the historical temples. He demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the people who are vandalizing the Hindu temples.

BJP Bapatla district president MV Ramana Rao visited the temple on Monday evening and condemned the attempt to damage the idols in the temple. He faulted the government for the incident.

Following the instructions of Ongole rural CI Rambabu, Naguluppalapadu SI Ramanaiah registered a case and started investigation.