SriKalahasthi, August 24, 2013:

An earthen ‘kalasam’ on one of the Gopurams (towers) of Srikalahasti temple came crashing to the ground at Srikalahasthi on Thursday.

There were no causalities reported as the influx of pilgrims was minimal due to the Samaikyandhra agitations. Official sources attributed the fall of ‘kalasam’to monkey menace, which is quite rampant in the area. They also said that the ‘kalasam’ had not been properly installed and had nothing to do with the structural integrity of the tower.

‘A bad omen’

The falling off of a portion of the brick-and-mortar ‘kalasam’ has been described as part of the bad phase the State is currently going through.

As seen from the spate of agitations and chaotic situation during the last two months, the State is in the grip of ‘Rahu and Kethu’ (the mythological serpents indicative of bad omen), says P.A. Raman, the Asthana Siddhanthi of Kanipakam Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka temple. Another similar feature, ‘Elnaati Sani’ is also in vogue for the State, country and the entire world, he added while reacting to the incident.

The collapse of the Srikalahasti Raja Gopuram in 2010, the fall of a ‘Kalasam’ in 2012 and a portion in 2013 are all indicative of a bad sign, for which the Devasthanam will have to perform certain purification rituals. “The ‘Rahu Kethu Bandhana’ will be over by September 2013 and the State will remain united and surge in the path of progress,” he said.

Source: The Hindu, August 24, 2013