Unable to have darshan at Tirumala, Octogenarian builds temple in his village

The Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, the place the tragic stampede occurred on Saturday, was constructed reportedly by Hari Mukunda Panda, an 80-year-old resident of Palasa city who initially hailed from Odisha. Spread over 12.40 acres, the temple is at the moment being managed by Mukunda.

According to residents, Mukunda visited Tirupati for the darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy just a few years in the past, however couldn’t get to glimpse the presiding deity regardless of ready in queue for practically 5 hours. Disheartened, he shared the expertise along with his mom, who then urged that he assemble a temple much like the one in Tirupati, in order that not solely he but in addition others unable to go to Tirupati might have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara regionally.

Following his mom’s recommendation, his household constructed the temple on 12.40 acres, guaranteeing that the idol of Sri Venkateswara was designed to intently resemble the unique one at Tirupati. The temple was consecrated about six months in the past, however rapidly gained recognition among the many locals and likewise in Odisha, with various social media influences doing excursions of the temple.

Over the previous few months, the story of Hari Mukunda Panda’s devotion unfold throughout a number of villages within the district. Devotees from inside elements of Srikakulam and even from neighbouring Odisha fondly confer with it as ‘Chinna Tirupati’ and go to the temple in giant numbers to supply prayers, particularly on auspicious dates, reminiscent of on Saturday (November 1), which coincidentally was the primary Ekadasi of the auspicious Kartika masam (Kartika month), as per The Hindu calendar.