Telangana: Leaders on bhakti mode

Hyderabad: Politicians and other bigwigs in the state are in bhakti mode these days. After Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao achieved Telangana and made huge offerings to deities, gave a big fillip to Yadadri, the Raja Rajeswara Swami temple at Vemulawada and other temples and of course the Maha Yagam in his farm house, bhakti has spread like wildfire.

Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy has adopted the Sri Venkatewara Swamy temple at Timmapur village of Birpur mandal of Nizamabad district and organised a Sudarshana Yagam, which was graced by the CM and his family members.

Mr Rao, who spoke of the role of temples in promoting peace and tranquility, donated Rs 10,00,116 besides sanctioning Rs 10 crore for development of the temple besides land.

Noted film producer / distributor Dil Raju and his family, who hail from Narsingapally village in the same district, have constructed the Indur Tirumala temple, a temple of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, in the village, which was sanctified by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami recently.

Dil Raju invited Mr Rao and his predecessor N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to the temple. He even organised a special show of his blockbuster Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu for 100-odd guests with tickets priced at Rs 5,000 per head, which was donated to the temple, it is learnt.

Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy meanwhile sponsored the development of the Ayyappa temple in Yellapally in Adilabad district. Several politicians or their kin are behind the development of temples, including former Deputy CM Damodar Raj Narasimha’s wife developing the Vaikuntapuram Venkateswara Swamy temple in Sangareddy, TRS MLA Chinta Prabhakar developing the Brahmarambha Mallikarjuna Swamy and other temples at Sadashivpet and former Congress government whip T. Jaya Prakash Reddy sponsoring the development of the Bhavani temple at Ismailkhanpet, Sangameshwara Swamy temple, Ishwarya Markandeya — all in his constituency.
But no one is willing to reveal the donation amounts.

My Home Constructions owner Jupally Rameshwar Rao, an ardent devotee of Chinna Jeeyar Swami, donated 100 acre for the Jeeyar mutt in Shamshabad.
MEIL chairman P.P. Reddy and MD P.V. Krishna Reddy have adopted their native village Dokiparru in Gudlavalleru mandal of Krishna district where a Venkateswara temple is being developed and a kalyana mandapam constructed.