Reddy brothers make lavish offering to Srikalahasti temple

Revenue Minister Gali Karunakara Reddy made the offerings in the presence of the temple priests and authorities after offering prayers at the shrine in Chittoor district.

The offerings to the deity include a "vajra kireetam" (diamond crown) and a "bangaru cheera" (golden saree). The crown studded with about 800 diamonds was reportedly made in South Africa. The ornaments were made of an estimated 13 kg gold.

Talking to reporters outside the temple, Karunakara Reddy said they made the offering out of devotion. He, however, refused to reveal their value saying that devotion can't be evaluated in terms of money.

Interestingly, Reddy brothers made the offering a day after their friend Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was elected from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency in a byelection with a record majority.

The Reddy brothers - Karunakara, Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy, and Bellary legislator G. Somashekara Reddy - were close to Jaganmohan Reddy's late father and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

In 2009, the brothers had presented a diamond-studded gold crown, estimated to be worth Rs.45 crore, to the famous Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirupati.

The brothers own Brahmani steel plant and Obulapuram mines in Andhra Pradesh and have huge mining interests in Bellary district of Karnataka, but are under fire from the apex court for flouting environmental norms.