Vijayawada: A police officer will be felicitated for the 25th year running by the Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy during the thiru nakshatra celebration of the Jeeyar Peetham. Vijayawada DCP, D. Koteswara Rao, is the recipient of this unique honour for a man in a uniform.
The seer has been felicitating the police officer who helped solve the theft of idols from his ashram located in Seetanagaram of Tadepalli for decades now.
The ashram was started in November 1993. On November 14, eleven idols of Perumal Peetham were found stolen. A large number devotees in rushed to the ashram and demanded that the culprits be banned. The seer announced that he would commit ‘atmarpanam’ if the police fail to trace the idols in 36 hours.
Rao was then working at sub-inspector of Tadepalli and began investigations. He took a vow that he would not eat food till he found the idols. He started an intensive search, and his team found the idols under some bushes on the second day. He returned the idols to the ashram. The police arrested two persons for the theft.
As a gesture of thanksgiving, Swamy invited Rao to the thiru nakashatra celebration in 1994 and asked him to begin the event by performing sahara kalasabhishekam to the idols. The ashram conducts the thiru nakashatra celebration every year in different places, including in the US. Mr Rao has been invited to all the celebrations and felicitated there.
This year, the ashram will be conducting the programme in Muchintal, Shamshabad. Mr Rao said it was a rare opportunity and he was very fortunate to get a chance to perform the holy rituals.
