Two of Navanandis in Nandyal submerged in Kundu

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy/Nandyal

Two of Navanandis the nine nandis in Lord Shiva temples dating back to 18th century in Nandhyala town were submerged in the flood water of Kundu river.

Sri Prathamanandeeswara Devasthanam and Naganandi in Nandhyal are still reeling under water with no pooja for the past five days as the approach the temple has cut off and there is water around the temples.Pilgrims who come to Mahanandi also visit the other eight Nandis They are now asking the government to restore the approach to the temples and repair the damages on war footing.Mr A Kishore a devotee from Chittoor who came to Nandhyal three days ago says ,”we have been waiting to see the prathamanandi and start our piligirmage to navanandulu. There is no way now as the water level from the main road to the temple at a distance of half kilometre is at the level of twelve to fifteen feet.

The small bridge is also washed away in the floods,”The watchman of the Prathama Nandeeswara Temple T Thimmaiah was struck up in the temple for the past six days. His wife T Savitri said ,”the temple priest Dattatreya is safe and he is in the town as the water came on October 2nd afternoon after the pooja and priest left the temple,”Naganandi inside the Anjaneyaswamy temple in the west of Nandhyal was also inundated.Within a 15 kilometer radius from the Mahanandi temple lie eigh other Prathama Nandi, Naga Nandi, Vinayaka Nandi, Garuda Nandi, Shiva Nandi, Vishnu Nandi, Surya Nandi, and Soma Nandi.The King Nandana and his ancestors performed Pujas to Lord Shiva by constructing the nandis with Chalukya architecture.The piligirms alleged that there no efforts made by either reveue or endowments or irrigation department to take up the restoration.