Allegations have emerged of vandalism of an ancient Shiva lingam at the famous Draksharamam Bhimeshwar Swami temple located on the banks of the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. A group of unidentified miscreants allegedly entered the temple on Tuesday night and carried out vandalism. The matter came to light on Wednesday morning when the temple was opened. Police quickly arrived at the scene after receiving the news. Police have already detained one person on suspicion of involvement in the incident and begun interrogation. Additionally, CCTV footage from the area is being examined. However, as news of the incident spread, anger erupted among devotees and local residents.
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A video of has been taken by an X user which shows the Shiva Lingam in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati was vandalised and the police are suspecting the Lingam was damaged using a hammer like weapon.
CM Chandrababu Naidu orders strict action
According to sources, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has expressed anger over the incident. He also made a post on his X handle regarding this matter. In the post, he wrote, "Those who have committed such acts will not be spared under any circumstances." Additionally, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has ordered the submission of an investigation report. He has also directed increased police surveillance in that area.
Police have stated that the name of the detained person is Srinivas. He was arrested after examining CCTV footage from the Kapileshwar Ghat area. Srinivas had recently had a dispute with a priest of the temple. Police suspect that he damaged the Shiva lingam to take revenge for that incident. Temple authorities have announced that a new Shiva lingam has been reinstalled in the temple after the incident.
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The Draksharamam temple is one of India's most ancient and sacred Pancharama Kshetras. This ancient Shiva lingam was established at Kapileshwar Ghat on the banks of the Godavari river behind the temple. Local residents demand that the culprits be identified immediately and legal action be taken.
