WARANGAL: Endowments minister Konda Surekha emphasised that temple rituals cannot be performed without the vedas, and it is the Veda Patashalas (Vedic schools) that provide trained vedic scholars to carry out these rituals. Therefore, she said, it is the responsibility of the endowments department to preserve, nurture, and promote the vedas.
Accompanied by the Warangal West MLA Naini Rajendar Reddy, district collector P. Pravinya and Bhadrakali temple executive officer Shehu Bharati, the minister laid a foundation stone for the construction of the Vedic School at a cost of Rs 1.3 crore here in Hanamkonda on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Surekha said that the government is providing an opportunity to people to find out which temple is present in which area through a website. This would allow donors to donate to temples that will be used for the development of that particular temple.
The endowment department files which had been gathering dust for years are now brought out by the government along with giving promotions to priests which had been stalled for years. There is a shortage of staff in the endowment department and it is the responsibility of the department to fill all those vacancies.
Last year, Bonalu Jatara was celebrated on a grand note. A meeting was about to be held on June 6 to discuss arrangements to be made for conducting this year Bonalu Jatara also on a successful note. The department received appreciation from devotees for the excellent Saraswati Pushkaralu at Triveni Sangam in Kaleshwaram last month, she added.
Konda Surekha stated that a recent survey at Warangal Fort identified 14 temples that currently lack idols. However, the Archaeology Department is not permitted to make any modifications to these structures. She added that a formal request will be sent to the department seeking permission, as these temples hold historical significance and efforts will be made to reinstall deities in accordance with tradition.
Encroachment of endowment lands worth crores of rupees is against the law. The encroachers must voluntarily return the land, or action will be taken against them as per the law, she warned.
