75th I-Day: Mahatma Gandhi temple in Telangana sees an increase in number of 'devotees'

Nalgonda: As patriotic fervour grips the country on the eve of its 75th year of independence, there has been a marked increase in the footfalls to a temple for Mahatma Gandhi in a village in this district in Telangana, with the villagers flocking to have his 'darshan' and seek blessings.

For many people around Chityal town in Telangana, about 75 KM from Hyderabad, visiting the Mahatma Gandhi Temple is becoming a sentiment.

The first-of-its-kind temple at Pedda Kaparthy village near Chityal town in the district has been drawing attention from even far off places, says PV Krishna Rao, Secretary of the Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust which maintains the shrine.

Rao says the temple which usually has visitors numbering 60-70 on a normal day is now witnessing increased flow of devotees in the range of around 350 after the Telangana government and the Centre's initiatives to celebrate the 75th year of independence.

"Normally around 60 to 70 people come every day to offer prayers at the temple. Now due to wide publicity being given in the name of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav by the Centre and Swatantra Bharat Vajrotsavalu by the Telangana government, the number of visitors has increased to 300 to 340 a day," he told PTI.

He said though the temple which was built in 2014 does not offer any special programmes marking the Independence Day on August 15, it organises special pujas on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.

He said the temple is slowly gaining prominence with people regularly coming and offering prayers along with their family members.

Constructed on a four-acre land close to the Hyderabad-Vijayawada Highway, the temple houses the Mahatma in a sitting posture giving blessings to people.

According to Rao, the temple trust also started offering silk robes to couples on their wedding day in nearby villages of Chityal.

It became a new tradition that villagers, before distributing marriage invitation cards, offer prayers and take the Bapu's blessings, he said.

Asked if there would be any special programmes on the occasion of 75th year of independence, Krishna Rao said they don't confine Gandhiji to just the independence struggle.

"We see him as a mahitatmudu (person of divinity) rather than a mahatmudu (mahatma)," he said.

The Telangana Tourism Department has included the temple as one of the divine destinations of the state.

The temple trust also offers a marriage hall located in the premises at nominal cost for inter-caste marriages with riders that consumption of alcohol and non-vegetarian food is prohibited.