Sudden Hike in Srisailam Seva Rates

Srisailam, September 22 : The sudden surge in the rates of arjitha and other sevas at the famous Srisailam temple came as a shock to the lakhs of devotees who throng the temple. There is a famous belief that all sins will get washed away if one takes a dip in the holy temple tank, Patala Ganga and have the darshan of Bhramarambha Mallikarjuna Swamy.

Devotees from all corners of the country visit the temple round the year, the rush will be more during festival days.Since the AP government wanted to develop the temple on par with the Tirumala temple, EO Narayana Bharath Gupta introduced several reformations, which became successful.

The temple will get Rs 5 crore monthly income through hundi and arjitha sevas on normal days and the amount will increase to Rs 140 cr during festival days and Brahmotsvam.

The EO has made some changes in the Seva prices even as the Rs 50 ticket for Lord darshan was cancelled, the Rs 1,500 rate of Rudrabhishekam is continuing. But the Kumkumarchana price was doubled from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

The devotees, who want to spend more time inside the sanctum sanctorum for the price of abhishekam ticket, with a time span of 15 minutes, now have to shell out Rs 5,000.

The price for 'laksha bilwarchana' was increased from Rs 3,116 to Rs 5,000 while that of rudra homam and chandi homam was raised from Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 1,500.

But there is a little relief to the devotees with the decrease of the prices of suprabhata seva and kalyanotsavam tickets from Rs 1,000 to Rs 500. Maha mangala harati ticket was also reduced to Rs 500.

Devotees were unhappy over the sudden surge in the rates as expected and understandably.