Simhachalam staff steps up vigil on abandoned cattle

Visakhapatnam: In an attempt to devise effective measures to keep a check on the devotees offering sick and non-native cattle abandoning at temple premises, Simhachalam devasthanam authorities now intensified their supervision, forming special teams.

In connection with this, Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple staff is building awareness among the devotees and sending the non-native breeds of the cattle back if the devotees were seen offering them instead of the indigenous breeds.

The move came into effect following a series of deaths of cows and calves reported at Simhachalam Ghosala in recent weeks.

During festival days and weekends, hundreds of devotees offer calves to the lord at the temple. Of them, more than 95 percent belong to non-native breeds. Following the ban on accepting such breeds, the temple authorities refused to receive them. However, the devotees continued to bring non-native breeds of cattle and leave them at 'Tholipavancha' (downhill) and surrounding areas. As safeguarding the abandoned calves has become a horrendous exercise for the devasthanam, the sick and non-native cattle thus offered were shifted to temporary Ghosala. But some of them died over a period of time due to various reasons such as being in a congested place, developing health issues and lack of proper upkeep.

To place a check on this, the temple authorities took up the exercise of distributing the cattle free of cost to farmers in Agency areas. In order to further dissuade devotees from abandoning the cattle at Tholipavancha and other areas, the devasthanam has deployed teams with the support of the police department. The teams will keep a tab on the devotees offering sick and weak calves and educate them on the implications of leaving Jersey cattle. They also warn the devotees that cases will be registered against them for abandoning the calves at temple premises.

Recently, many non-native cattle brought to the shrine in the garb of offering were sent back. Instead of taking responsibility for the abandoned cattle by maintaining them at the temporary Ghosala, the temple authorities figured out a better way out to control the arrival of non-native breeds of cattle at Simhachalam.