Probe into ‘tantric ritual’ at Andhra temple

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday initiated a probe after allegations of an outsider performing a tantric ritual, in the Kanaka Durga temple riled Hindu seers while the opposition accused the chief minister of ordering the ritual.

The government moved quickly to contain any fallout and shifted executive officer (EO) of the temple A Surya Kumari and replaced her with Ramachandra Mohan, EO of Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam.

Official sources said the chief minister’s office (CMO) has called for a comprehensive report from the Endowments Department authorities at the earliest over the alleged ritual in the temple.

The Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri Hill in Vijayawada, managed by Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam, draws lakhs of devotees throughout the year.

The Vijayawada police took three priests of the Kanaka Durga temple into custody and during the interrogation, they are learnt to have confessed to have performed some “tantric puja” at the behest of main priest.

The action against the temple’s executive officer came within hours of her denying allegations of the tantric ritual. She said the priests had only cleaning the sanctum sanctorum by reciting mantras, done once a month.

Unconfirmed reports said the priests had decked up the presiding deity as Goddess Kali and performed Bhairavi puja for more than two hours. They had even prepared “kadamba prasadam” (food to be offered to the deity) in the temple kitchen.

The alleged tantric rituals in the temple evoked strong reactions from Hindu seers.

Describing it as desecration of the temple, Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswati of Visakha Sarada Peetham said it was unfortunate that the Hindu temples had been misused as political rehabilitation centres.

YSR Congress party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu alleged the rituals were performed at the behest of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who wanted to secure “divine powers” for his son and information technology minister Nara Lokesh so that he could become the chief minister of the state in future.

HYDERABAD: VIJAYAWADA COPS TOOK INTO CUSTODY 3 PRIESTS OF THE KANAKA DURGA TEMPLE WHO SAID THEY HAD PERFORMED ‘SOME TANTRIC PUJA’ AT THE BEHEST OF MAIN PRIEST