Attacks on temples in the state of Andhra Pradesh are increasing. In a short span, several temples have been reportedly vandalized by the miscreants. From destroying idols to burning century-old chariots, a lot has happened in Andhra Pradesh. Here is a list of five incidents that shook the Hindus irrespective of their geographic location.
Nandi idol vandalized in Chittoor
On 27th September, Gangadhara Nellore police station received the information about an attack on Shiva temple in Agara Mangalam village in Gangadhara Nellore Mandal of Chittoor district. As per the reports, the Nandi idol of the temple was vandalized on the night of 26th and 27th September by some miscreants. The pieces of the idol were found scattered nearby pedestal. The police have registered the case and trying to find out who was behind the attack.
Attack on Kasi Visweswara Swamy temple in Krishna
Some miscreants attacked the Kasi Visweswara Swamy temple at Makkapeta village in Vatasvayi Mandal, Krishna district, on the night of 16th September. As per the reports, the attackers damaged a portion of the Nandi idol installed in the 12-century temple. The caretakers came to know about the incident on the 17th morning when they opened the doors for daily darshan. The police have registered a case under Section 427, 457, and 153 (a) of CrPC and initiated a probe in the case. It is believed that the Kakatiya rulers installed the idol of Veerabhadra Swamy in the temple in the 12th century.
A day later, a Hanuman idol in a temple in Yeleswaram was vandalised. The high-value silver idols from the chariot of Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayavada were stolen. The idols weighed 3.3 kgs each.
Century-old chariot burnt at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi
On 6th September, a century-old chariot was burnt down to ashes at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi. It is believed that the so-called fire accident was the result of a conspiracy. The government of Andhra Pradesh suspended the temple’s Executive Officer (EO) after the outrage and sanctioned Rs 95 lakh to build a new chariot. In the background of the chariot burning, Antarvedi saw a few mild cases of communal violence. The people associated with the temple alleged that while they were protesting, some outsiders pelted stones on the church that caused the tension.
Chariot of Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nellore
On 14th February 2020, the chariot of Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nellore was burnt down by some miscreants in the wee hours. The locals noticed the fire and called the authorities immediately. However, before anything could have done to control the fire, the chariot was turned into pieces of coal. Though there were initial attempts to call it an accident, the locals refused to believe that a fire accident could burn down the chariot. A probe was initiated in the incident to find the miscreants.
Idols damaged in East Godavari district
On 21st January 2020, some miscreants damaged the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses and flex banners in Pithapuram city in East Godavari district. The reports suggested that they used hammers to disfigure cemented idols of Bhagwan Ganesha, Hanuman, Sai Baba, and Durgamata in the Bajranj temple located in the open shed Suravarapu street in Agraharam. They also destroyed various Hindu god flex banners installed in the open space along the roadside in nearby areas on the outskirts of Pithapuram town. The police registered a case in the matter and collected CCTV footage from the nearby areas.
