Godavari water enters Gandi Pochamma temple, entry for devotees restricted
Vijayawada: Entry to the ancient Gandi Pochamma Temple on the banks of River Godavari has been restricted as the river’s water-level touched the feet of the deity on Monday.
The temple is famous for the belief that the wishes would be fulfilled for devotees, especially childless couple, who visit the temple and take darshan of the deity.
The temple is located at Gondur village of Devipatnam mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. A large number of tribals and those from the plains visit the temple and offer prayers.
The temple used to get Hundi collections of around half a crore per annum and its functionaries say the shirine has the potential to get even acrore each year. However, when the hundi was opened on July 13, the collection was just `5.35 lakh.
Tourists on their way to Papikondalu make it a point to visit the Gandi Pochammam temple and offer prayers to the deity. Many visit the temple from both agency and the plains.
Locals say the temple started getting affected by the Godavari floods in the last six years or when the Polavaram project works began and the construction of a diaphragm wall and other components was taken up. The works adversely affected the water flow.
In order to protect the temple from flooding, the endowments department has come up with a plan to erect a wall arond the temple at a cost of `50 crore. A team of officials visited Karnataka and found a temple facing similar inundation near the Tungabhadra Dam and recommended the same protection to the AP temple.
The Polavaram Project Authority has taken the proposal to the higher levels for approval of the design and sanction of funds, but this was not approved yet.
The ASR district endowments deputy commissioner S. Chandra Sekhar said, “The ancient Gandi Pochamma Temple is famous especially among the tribals and tourists. They believe that a touch of the feet of the deity will help fulfill their wishes. We have proposed to develop the temple at a cost of `50 crore through PPA.”
“The temple has potential to earn even a crore per annum through hundi collections,” he said.
Sources say that there is also a proposal to develop a road and other amenities at a cost of `250 crore from the upcoming hydro-electric project of Polavaram for the benefit of devotees and tourists visiting the temple.
With the suspension of plying of tourism boats on Godavari river, devotee arrivals by boats have stopped. As the water level started rising, the endowments department has recommended to the ITDA project officer to bar entry to the devotees so as to ensure their safety.