K M Dayashankar
JAYASHANKAR-BHUPALAPALLI, JULY 26, 2024: It is mandatory for any devotee to follow ‘dress code’ and wear traditional dhoti without shirt to enter into the sanctum sanctorum (garba gudi) of the temples in general and the Shiva temples in particular.
However, former Minister and BRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao along with other MLAs and MLCs of the party entered into the ‘garbalayam’ of Sri Kaleshwara Muktheeshwara Swamy devasthanam in Kaleshwaram of Mahadevpur mandal without removing their shirts at least, and offered prayers to the presiding deities on Friday. Their act was evoking wide spread criticism among the devotees.
The BRS legislator and MLCs led by former Minister KTR had visited the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in Medigadda and Kannepalli pump house demanding the government to switch-on the pumps to lift the water to the upper regions of the north Telangana districts. Earlier, they visited the ancient Sri Kaleshwara temple shrine and offered prayers.
The temple authorities had accorded ‘poorna kumbam’ swagatham to the BRS leaders amid chanting of vedic hymns. Ironically, the BRS elected representatives including KTR had entered the temple main temple without following the dress code and hurting the sentiments of the devotees.
On the other hand, the temple authorities have allowed the BRS leaders to take pictures in the main temple violating the norms. The devasthanam authorities had imposed ban on taking pictures and videos in the main temple and the cellular phones and cameras should be deposited at the cloak roam before Rajagopuram in the temple premises.
But, the BRS party media and others were allowed to enter the main temple premises and take pictures and videos of KTR and others offering prayers hurting the sentiments of the devotees.
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