Three silver lion idols go missing from Durga temple chariot SHIRDI SAIBABA IDOL NEAR VIJAYAWADA DESECRATED

Even as untoward incidents in temples are haunting YSR Congress government, a new incident has been reported. Three decorative silver lion idols have been found missing from the silver chariot in Kanaka Durga temple at Vijayawada. The four-lion idols-silver chariot is used during the Ugadi celestial ride of the Goddess. Three decorative lion idols worth of `15 lakh have been found removed from the chariot while the fourth is damaged during forcible removal.

The temple officials tried to hide the incident by covering the chariot with plastic tarpaulin cover but it came to light when Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas and AP BJP president Somu Veerraju visited the temple to view the chariot separately on Wednesday. Veerraju gave an ultimatum to the government to take action on the missing of idols within two days.

The chariot was constructed using 70 kg of silver 20 years ago at a cost of `50 lakh and was parked near the temple's information center on the hilltop Indrakeeladri near the sanctum sanctorum of Durga.

Nearly eight kgs of silver was used for each lion and the three weighed 24 kgs. This year’s Ugadi celestial ride was cancelled due to the Corona crisis.

● THE LOCALS found the damaged head and the hand of the Sai Baba idol in front of Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple at Nidamanuru in the early hours of Wednesday.

In another incident of desecration of temples in the state, an idol of Sai Baba of Shirdi was damaged at Nidamanuru on the outskirts of Vijayawada on Wednesday.

According to the reports, the locals found the damaged head and the hand of the Sai Baba idol in front of Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple at Nidamanuru in the early hours of Wednesday.

They immediately alerted the temple committee members, who in turn informed the police. Some devotees who clean the temple premises every day saw the head of the idol lying on the road.

The police said that a thorough investigation would be conducted and security enhanced at the temples.