HYDERABAD: Sri Katta Maisamma-Pochamma temple, located on the main road of Padmaraonagar, is considered to be the second famous temple in Secunderabad after the Ujjaini Mahankali temple. The locals strongly believe that the deities grant all wishes of those who come to worship and seek blessings.
The EO (executive officer) of the temple, Mahender Goud, said Katta Maisamma and Pochamma were the two main deities of the temple. “The Telugu month of Ashada and Bonalu are the two major events for this temple. Apart from other festivals like Dasara and Navratri, a huge rush can be seen during Fridays, Tuesdays and Sundays, which are considered as ‘Ammavari Dinalu’. On Sundays the crowds peak as it is the weekend and many families travel from faraway places to the city for a visit to this temple. We extend the temple visiting timings during these days,” he explained.
Pramod, who sells puja items right outside the temple’s main gate, said for the past three generations, his family has been running the shop to cater to the needs of devotees. “This is one of the oldest temples in the city. I grew up listening to stories of how there used to be frequent floods during British rule and how the prayers of our villagers were answered by Katta Maisamma who stopped them. There are many lakeside temples attributed to goddess Katta Maisamma. The goddess is said to be responsible for protecting water bodies and keeping people safe from water-borne illnesses. I was told that this used to be a wooden road and the temple was very small in those days, which was expanded over the years by village elders and the authorities. My grandfather was said to be among the founders who helped the village elders to construct the temple. It is strongly believed that whatever you wish and pray for in this temple will come true with Ammavari blessings,” he said.
“It is an amazing place to come for some peace. So many people come from different places and seek blessings of the goddesses here. I make sure that I frequently visit the temple and sit for 10-15 minutes. It eases my mind and calms me down,” said Raju Babu, a private employee from Chilkalguda who stopped at the temple on his way home from work.
“It is carnival here during festival seasons and during Bonalu. The road usually gets closed for traffic and we get to celebrate our festivals with peace and happiness. I have invited our relatives from other states to join us this year and celebrate with us,” said Pramila, a second year degree student.
“The temple, constructed in 1954 by A. Rammaiah and five other people, was taken over by the endowments department in 1987 and has been maintained ever since," said S. Tirumalachary, the head priest of the temple.
“The trust board was organised in 1991, following which a priest was assigned. The public were happy to have a priest and with the response, a final decision was taken to have a priest to look after the temple and to cater to the devotees. Apart from wholesome celebrations of main festivals like Ugadi, Dasara and Diwali, other occasions like Hanuman Jayanti and Krishna Ashtami also are also celebrated with special pujas here apart from serving food to devotees and attendees. In 1999, the temple was reconstructed and timely beautification has been taken up ever since,” he said.
