KCR’s Face on Yadagiri Temple Pillar!

The Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Yadadri, also known as Yadagirigutta, situated about 70km from Hyderabad, is one of the largest in the state and is considered as Telangana’s ‘Tirumala’. A major revamp at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore is underway and the chief minister is said to have taken a personal interest in it. On the agenda is the 11-acre temple complex with seven domes, 1,400 tourist facilities consisting of cottages, multilevel parking and housing for temple priests.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's face on one of the pillars of the state's famous Yadadri temple has riled the opposition and triggered a major row in the state. Opposition parties in Telangana are strongly criticizing Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for allegedly portraying himself as a God after sketches resembling his face were found etched on some pillars on the Yadadri temple that is being renovated and expanded. The TRS party symbol was also carved on some pillars.

BJP MLA T Raja Singh said KCR was trying to get himself the status of a demi-god by getting his image carved on the pillars of the temple. “I think they are even making idols and statues of KCR to put them in the temple. This is very shameful. The temple is not KCR’s property nor is he renovating it with his own money. All such carvings and inscriptions should be removed,’’ Singh said.

Congress leader Vijayashanti Srinivas stated that KCR was behaving like a medieval king by getting inscriptions of his face on temple pillars. Former Congress MP G Narayan Reddy said KCR is an elected public representative and not a king to present himself on temple pillars. “Mixing religion with politics is unconstitutional,’’ he said.

Rao launched an ambitious Rs 1,800 crore expansion and renovation of the temple to rival Tirupati temple. The temple’s chief architect Anand Sai pointed out that carvings of lotus and cycle (party symbols of BJP and TDP) can also be found on the pillars. “These are all done by sculptors of their own volition. They carved KCR’s face out of admiration and not out of any instructions or pressure. Carvings in temples are done reflecting the events of the period during which it was built for future generations to know and understand,’’ Sai said.

BJP MLA Raja Singh, who visited the temple on Saturday, demanded that such images should be removed within a week."I am requesting the Chief Minister. If it is in your knowledge, it is very wrong. If it is not in your knowledge, you should take action on those who did these things," Singh told reporters. State BJP president K Laxman led a protest on Saturday by his party workers on the issue.

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