Sangameswara temple surfaced from the backwaters of Srisailam reservoir three days ago. Priests and devotees have been making hectic arrangements for conducting rituals for 12 weeks in summer.

It has been a kind of sojourn for the temple since 2003 when it surfaced for the first time after 20 years. The temple was the only structure which could not be relocated on the request of devotees under the rehabilitation. Scores of villages and temples were shifted to different places and some important idols were stored at the museum in Kurnool.

The temple remained under water for two decades and surfaced in 2003 when the dam authorities depleted the water in the reservoir. Since then, the temple has been surfacing when the level declined below 834 ft.

The irrigation officials draw water for power generation and to supply water to irrigation canals in winter and beginning of the summer. The depletion is likely to be intensified in the coming years when Hundri-Neeva, Veligonda and Srisailam Left Bank Canal start drawing water.

Meanwhile, the temple priests headed by Telakapalli Raghurama Sarma are gearing up for the daily rituals and weekly “homam”. The team planned Lalitha Sangemeswara Kalyanotsavam on June 9.

The volunteers cleaned up the premises while the priests conducted rituals sanctifying the temple. Mr. Raghurama Sarma underscored the need for strengthening the structure since the temple is showing signs of stress since it remained in water for 31 years.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Kurnool – April 16th, 2014