‘Tantrik pujas’ at Durga temple come to fore again

Fresh issues are cropping up regarding the alleged tantrik puja held at the Kanaka Durga Temple atop Indrakeeladri Hill.

Following reports that investigations had revealed that wine and mutton were purchased for performing a tantrik puja, the Temple Trust Board has reportedly informed the police about the involvement of a few insiders and also about the people whom these insiders had allegedly purchased mutton and wine.

As per the reports, Ugrarupa-Mahishasura Mardini was invoked into the presiding deity of the temple, Kanaka Durga, before performing the tantrik puja, and after the same, the Sri Rajarajeswari Shanta Roopam was invoked into the presiding deity. It is learnt that ‘Maha Samprokshanam’ was performed discreetly later, after the then executive officer, Surya Kumari, was relieved from her duties as the EO.

Speaking to this newspaper, Sthanacharya of Sri Durga Malleswaraswami Devasthanam, Vishnubhotla Shivaprasad, said that Sringeri Chandrasekhara Bharathi Mahaswamy recently visited the temple and offered ‘Meru Prasthanam’ to the Moola Virat.

“It was placed in Antaralayam and he advised us to perform Sahasranamarchana and Khadgamala, on every Friday, to invoke Mantra Siddhi for the Moola Viraat, in the name of the Goddess itself,” explained Vishnubhotla Shivaprasad.

Meru Prasthanam is the special offering from Sringeri Sarada Peetham to the Goddess, to eliminate all ‘Kalmashams’. This development took place after the controversy of tantrik pujas came to light on December 26, 2017. However, temple authorities didn’t open their mouth till now over the offering of ‘Meru Prasthanam’ by Sringeri Peetham, which is leading to several suspicions.

When a key member in the Sri Durga Malleswaraswami Devasthanam Trust Board was contacted, he said that this is a sevenmonths-old episode and nothing new is there to say or share. However, he said that police haven’t submitted their report to the Government so far. In fact, the details were mentioned in the report regarding from where the mutton and wine were brought, who have taken the same to the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Kanaka Durga Antaralayam and how they were presented before the presiding deity as ‘Naivedya’. The visuals also contain as to whom the ‘Prasada’ was given and where they have consumed, on which the trust board was tightlipped. He just wanted to not to highlight the issue again, as everything is going well now.