Floods in Nallamala ravage temples

Kanigiri: The incessant downpour in the Nallamala forest for three days has led to streams overflowing and flood waters causing damage to roads and temples. Debris were strewn with debris. The priests with the help of local people are busy clearing the debris since Wednesday.

Bhairavakona is a pilgrim and tourist centre in the Nallamala forest on the borders of Prakasam and Nellore districts. The forest stretches 250 square kilometres on the eastern hills. According to historians, the temple of Bhairava was carved out of hills and it dated back to the Pallava's reign, about 700 and 800AD.

The locals claim that there are about one crore Sivalingas in a perimeter of 25 square kilometres around Bhairavakona temple. But the main attraction to the Bhairavakona is the magnificent waterfalls.

After taking a holy dip in the waterfalls, the devotees offer prayers to Kalabhairava, Trimukha Durgamba and spending the time enjoying nature and its beauty. Bhairavakona temple is the only place where eight forms of Lord Siva, the Sasi Naga, Rudra, Visweswara, Nagarikeswara, Bhargeswara, Rameswara, Mallikharjuna, and Pakshaghataka adorn the eight temples carved from a single rock.

The goddess Trimukha Durga has her own temple where the devotees offer individual prayers. The earlier government decided to develop the Bhairavakona shrine as a tourist attraction and allotted 75 acres of forest land for development.

The then District Collector Vadarevu Vinaychand visited the temple and directed the officials to construct four check dams to save water during monsoon and develop lawn and plantations in the area.

He also asked the officials to construct a Haritha hotel for tourists and 80 bathrooms for men and women along with the facilities. As the tourists and devotees throng Bhaiaravakona for Maha Sivaratri and vacations like Dasara and Sankranthi, the then Collector directed the officials to instal LED lights on Kothapalle-Bhairavakona and widene it as a two-lane road.

The agencies took up the development works and started some constructions like shelters and expanding roads. But the floods during the last three days swept away the new constructions along with the old structures like sheds. The waterfalls had swollen and the debris from hills got deposited in temples.