Statue at entrance of Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple damaged

A statue, said to be of a king, has been damaged at the main entrance of Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple in Melkote, Mandya district on Thursday.

It is said that the statue has been damaged when the workers involved in the renovation works, taken up by the Archeology Survey of India, dropped a huge stone on it.

The statue’s legs has been broken. The incident, which occurred during the Vardhanti festival of a goddess at the temple has been claimed as a bad omen, by a section of the devotees. It is said that the Muzarai department officials tried to stick the broken pieces of the statue using glue, when it was noticed. The devotees have demanded legal action against the officials concerned, as per the department rules.