a day ago
Consistent efforts to serve quality meals strike a chord with scores of devotees
Visakhapatnam: 'Annidanala kanna, annadanam minna' (serving food is considered as a great service compared to any other form of charity). And it is the same 'adage' the Simhachalam Devasthanam has been following without any compromise for the past 36 years. Along with darshan of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Simhachalam Devasthanam reminds one of the flavourful 'annadanam' the temple serves to its devotees.
The Devasthanam launched the 'Nitya Annadanam' scheme 36 years ago with a strong belief that 'Annadanam' is superior compared to any other service. In 1989, August 14, a group of temple employees donated Rs 50,000 to initiate the Nitya Annadanam scheme.
Back then, the inauguration of the scheme was organised under the aegis of the then temple Executive Officer G.V. Narasimha Murthy. In 1989, the Devasthanam employees collected a total of Rs 50,000 as their first donation. The seed sown 36 years back reaped bountiful fruits over the years as the devotees' immense faith, deposits of crores of donations plus the interest earned on them resulted in an uninterrupted execution of Annadanam, satiating the hunger pangs of scores of devotees who arrive at the temple.
Without compromising on quality standards, the scheme's focus has also been on consistent maintenance of the taste for decades. This is one of the main reasons for the scheme to become successful.
Those who savoured the meal in the Devasthanam have one thing to convey, 'There is something 'divine' about the food served in Simhachalam Devasthanam as it is so flavourful.' As per the instructions of the temple's hereditary trustee and Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, temple officials focused on improving the cleanliness and spiritual atmosphere of the temple surroundings and Annadanam Bhavanam premises.
For the financial year of 2024-25, the deposit amount reached Rs 36.45 crore, while the interest earned on it is Rs 2.09 crore. With the interest accrued alone, Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy's Anna Prasadam scheme is being implemented in an uninterrupted manner. According to temple records, since the inception of the scheme, five donors donated Rs 10 lakh or more each. There are 1,217 donors, who have donated Rs 1 lakh and above.
This year alone, more than one million devotees savoured the Anna Prasadam, informed Vendra Trinadha Rao, Executive Officer of the Devasthanam. On special occasions like 'Vaikuntha Ekadasi', annual Kalyanam, 'Chandannotsavam', 'Giri Pradakshina', special Anna Prasadam arrangements have been made additionally to lakhs of devotees.
In coordination with Devasthanam assistant executive officer Vadrevu Ramana Murthy, supervising officer Paluri Narasinga Rao and the staff, steps have been taken to ensure quality food is served to the devotees in a hassle-free manner. As the Annaprasadam scheme enters its 37th year, the Executive Officer of the Devasthanam expressed his gratitude to the donors who continue to support the scheme.
