Temple PRASAD leaves a bitter aftertaste Premium

The management of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, popularly known as the Simhachalam Temple, has allegedly acquired a portion of the burial ground as part of its expansion project. Temple authorities have sealed off the area, denying tribals access to the cremation ground.

On a chilly January afternoon, thick plumes of smoke billowing from a secluded spot on the Simhachalam hills in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, caught the attention of onlookers. Initially thought to be routine burning of firewood by the local tribal population during winter, the source of the smoke later turned out to be the cremation ceremony of a 55-year-old tribal woman, Chodipilli Varalamma.

Varalamma, who had fallen ill in the first week of January this year, succumbed while undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital a few days later. Overcome with sorrow, her family, including her son Bhairava, faced a daunting task in ensuring a dignified farewell. Unable to enter the usual burial ground, the grieving family ultimately laid Varalamma to rest in the middle of a narrow road leading to the common graveyard.

The management of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, popularly known as the Simhachalam Temple, has allegedly acquired a portion of the burial ground as part of its expansion project. Temple authorities have sealed off the area, denying tribals access to the cremation ground.

Dedicated to Lord Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, depicted as half-man, half-lion, this temple holds great religious importance and is among the oldest in the country.

According to the tribals, the temple management has not only tried to grab the burial ground but also their hamlet, known locally as ST Colony, or Scheduled Tribe Colony, named after their legal status given by India’s Constitution. This settlement, home to about 250 people from 70 families of the Konda Dora tribe, has existed for centuries, they say.

Situated approximately 100 metres from the main entrance of the temple, the hamlet falls within the jurisdiction of Simhachalam village in Adavivaram gram panchayat of Visakhapatnam Rural mandal. It is topographically part of Visakhapatnam city, which Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy plans to make the State’s executive capital. However, despite the hamlet’s vast history and importance, the tribal residents find themselves cramped out, their tranquillity disturbed.

Temple officials state that attempts to relocate the tribals began in 2003 under the Centre-sponsored scheme, PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive), aimed at temple development. As part of the initiative, 193 families in the hamlet were identified for relocation to the Gosala area at the bottom of the hill. Although 60% of them were moved, the remaining continue to hold onto their roots but at a price — they are struggling with civic and other issues.