Vijayawada: The sub-standard rice being used for making Pulihora prasadam and other offerings to the presiding deity Goddess Kanakadurga at Sree Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam has now drawn the attention of endowments department. The vigilance department also found there were no cashew and other dry fruits in the laddu prasadam too.
Despite huge Hundi collection and rise in the revenue, the SDMS authorities could not focus on curbing irregularities on the premises of the shrine.
The quality of prasadam at the Kanakadurga temple has hit headlines in media frequently in the last few months. The devotees complain that the prasadam is of poor quality.
Many of the devotees complained that quality ingredients were not being used and that cashew nuts and green chillies were missing in the ‘pulihora.’ The rice used for cooking it is not of fine quality. Laddus are dry and hard in summer, the devotees complained.
There were instances when the devotees lodged complaints with the endowments department about the same, during the Dasara festival days.
Every day nearly 25,000-30,000 laddus and 6-8 quintal of ‘pulihora’ are sold at the prasadam counters in the temple.
During Fridays, Sundays and other general holidays, the sale of laddu increases to 40,000 and nearly 12-15 quintals of pulihora is sold, according to statistics available with the Sree Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam (SDMSD), atop Indrakeeladri.
Even, the minister for irrigation Devineni Umamaheswara Rao also said that the pulihora prasadam lacked quality, at a meeting held before the Dasara celebrations, last month in the city.
Devotees complain
- Rice being used for the pulihora prasadam is found to be of sub-standard quality, according to the officials of the endowments department
- Laddu prasadam not being garnished with cashews or other dry fruits. Devotees also complained that the laddus were dry and hard during hot weather conditions
- Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao also observed that the prasadam being distributed by the temple is lacking quality
