Vijayawada: The forest department officials demolished Kasinayana ashram in Jyothi Kshetram, which is located in the Nallamala forest of Nandyal district. The demolition drive has shocked thousands in and around the rayalaseema districts.
Kasinayana ashrams are known to feed millions of poor in the region and Jyothi Kshetram located in the deep forest is considered as the most prestigious. Devotees manage over 100 annadana satrams in Kurnool, Nandyal, Kadapa, Annamayya, Nellore and Prakasam districts and feed thousands of poor on a daily basis. The decision of the forest department to remove structures near Jyothi Kshetram has led to angry reaction from devotees.
However, a senior forest department official said that the structures were demolished after issuing notices as they were built in violation of the forest Act.
In fact, the Kasinayana ashrams are no way involved in any fund rising or temple constructions. Based on the teaching of renowned spiritual guru Kasireddy Nayana of Nandyal, devotees started annadana centres in several places including one in Jyothi Kshetram where Kasireddy Nayana lived. The impact of Kasinayana’s teachings moved thousands of farmers in the drought-hit regions of Rayalaseema prompting them to donate first crop from their fields to the ashrams. Inspired by Kasinayana’s repeated call to the devotees and leaders, people started annadana kshetrams across the region.
Kasinayana was considered an influential spiritual guru in the region during his lifetime. Unlike the modern rich gurus, Kasinayana lived a pious life and never demanded monies for ashrams or construction of temples, notwithstanding the fact that top politicians and industrialists used to waif for hours to meet him.
Curiously, Kasinayana never promised to perform miracles or shower fortunes on the visiting devotees. He used to shout at pilgrims if they tried to touch his feet for blessings and used to tell them to feed the poor for blessings, recalls local historian and social activist Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy.
The influence of Kasinayana further spread across the region after his death in Dec, 1995 in Jyothi kshetram located in the Nallamala forest. In his honour, the govt named a mandal after Kasinayana in Kadapa district. “The devotees have been serving the visiting poor and pilgrims with several varieties of dishes in breakfast, lunch and snacks in the evening without seeking their identities, caste, religion for decades,” said well-known writer Lankamala Vivek, the first person to raise alarm about the forest department’s decision to raze down the structures.
