Bhaktuni Chentaku Bhagvantudu, AP govt launched `Priest at your doorstep’

Bhaktuni Chentaku Bhagvantudu, AP govt launched `Priest at your doorstep’..

The AP endowments department has decided to introduce a novel scheme, “Bhaktuni Chentaku Bhagvantudu” (God visiting the devotee), from the Telugu new year Ugadi. As part of the programme, the priest of the local temple will visit families to bless them on seven special occasions related to birth and marriage. In case of death, the priest from the local Shiva temple will visit the family concerned.

The minister said the endowments department will not charge for the service. However, people are free to offer anything they like to the priests as `dakshina’.

Addressing media here on Saturday , endowment minister P Manikyala Rao said that the novel programme will be taken up as part of propagation of the Hindu Dharma, especially in Dalitwadas. “This is a free service. The priest will visit families on seven special occasions. They will participate in the ceremonies and give blessings,” he said.

He said all the priests of temples in villages and municipal wards in urban areas have been asked to take up the programme. To begin with, temples with an income of below one lakh per year will be selected under the programme.

The priests will visit families on occasions like birth of a child, naming ceremony , feeding of the first meal to a child, marriage, and pregnancy . There will be common Akshara Abhyasam (learning initiation ceremony) for a group of 20 to 30 children in the locality during the school admission season. When a death occurs in a family , priests will take Lord Shiva’s Abhisheka jalam (sacred water) to the family . Priests of major temples will not participate in the programme.

He said a toll free number 1800 425 6656 has been introduced in the endowments department for the people to lodge complaints and give suggestions. The number will be available from 8 am to 8 pm daily . It will be formally launched on Ugadi.

The endowment department will soon publish the details of land under encroachment, dispute and facing legal troubles. He said Rs 27 crore will be spent for construction of 172 bathing ghats in Kurnool, Krishna and Guntur districts for the ensuing Pushkarams.

Source – The Times of India.