Endowments Takeover of Varahi Matha Mandir Turns Controversial
The temple had been built by a devotee at her own cost after her wish had been fulfilled.
Kakinada: The takeover of Sri Kasi Varahi Ammavari Pooja Mandir at Koripalli village in Karapa mandal of Kakinada district by the Endowment department is turning into a controversy.
The women of Koripalli and surrounding villages, apart from Hindu organisations, have started agitating against the takeover. They are demanding that the state government return the temple to its owners.
Sources said a woman devotee had prayed to Goddess Varahi Matha, vowing to install Varahi Matha’s idol once her wish is fulfilled. With fulfilment of her wish, the woman’s family belonging to the farming community constructed the Sri Kasi Varahi Ammavaru Pooja Mandir on their own land with their own money without seeking any donations from the people, the government, or the Endowment department.
The Pooja Mandir opened on February 26. Since then, many devotees have started visiting it. Recently, Kakinada Endowments deputy commissioner issued directions taking over the temple and appointed Endowments officer R. Srinivas as the trustee.
The takeover has led to strong opposition from the people, particularly women. In particular, Chikkala Dorababu, a Jana Sena activist, told Deccan Chronicle that they had built the temple as per his mother’s wish. He requested the state government, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, and IT minister Nara Lokesh to return their Mandir to them for performing their daily devotional rituals.
Women devotees of the village have expressed anger over the department's movie. “We used to recite Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lalitha Sahasranamam, and other devotional stotras in a house every week. We shifted to Varahi Ammavari Pooja Mandir once it had been built. However, Endowment officials have taken over the temple after a large number of people started visiting the Varahi Mandir. “This is absolutely wrong,” a woman devotee said.
Many devotees fear the temple’s legacy may fail with Endowments department’s takeover. They cited the example of a woman devotee building a Varahi Temple at Kovvuru village in Kakinada Rural mandal. After the Endowments department took it over, its maintenance has worsened. The number of devotees at the temple has gone down.
Devotees pointed out that for temples to be self-sustainable, interference of the Endowments department should be minimal.
