Priests protest against EO

SIMHACHALAM: The Uttarandhra Archaka Sangham staged a massive dharna in front of the first step of the hill demanding that executive officer of Simhachalam Devasthanam, Ch Narasinga Rao should be sent back to his parent department, as he was tarnishing the image of Simhachalam temple.Hundreds of priests and SVLN Devasthanam Employees Association members participated in the protest and raised slogans against Rao. During the protest, they alleged that Rao was not a capable person to safeguard the temple’s sanctity, as he was violating norms of the temple. He has no idea regarding the tradition and customs of the temple and was defiling the sanctity of Simhachalam temple.Main archaka of Simhachalam temple, G Srinivasacharyulu said, the EO did not maintain tradition and customs which had been followed at the temple since generations. As per tradition, Rao has to invite Chairman of Trust Board, P Ananda Gajapathi Raju for all programmes, but this time Rao did not invite  Raju for Kalyanam programme. He invited political leaders and officials for his own mileage, lamented Srinivasacharyulu.The EO has utterly failed to safe guard the sanctity of the temple. God will not go to the leaders, leaders should come to the God, he added. He alleged that Rao was behaving like a monarch in the temple.