By Our Staff Reporter
The `Ashtamukhi koneru' at the Laxminarasimha Swamy temple at Jankampet near Nizamabad.
NIZAMABAD, JAN. 22. Thanks to the keen interest taken by the business community of Nizamabad and nearby towns, the ancient Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Janakampet, about 10 km from here, is getting a facelift.
The temple constructed during the 18th Century by Samarth Ramdas, guru of the Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji, was almost in ruins when the devotees of Laxmi Narasimha decided to take up renovation works.
The devotees used to visit Dharmapuri in Karimnagar district where the famous Laxmi Narasimha temple is located on the banks of Godavari.
The businessmen from town then approached the Assistant Commissioner, Endowments, E. Srinivas, and urged him to take steps to retain the temple's past glory.
The historic temple has the unique distinction of having the `Ashthamukhi koneru', the only one of its kind in entire south India.
The district administration has released Rs. 5.40 lakhs to lay a cement concrete road up o the temple.
The business community of Nizamabad town pooled money to the tune of Rs. 3 lakhs to take up renovation of the temple, lay new tiles, strengthen the temple walls and clean the `Ashthamukhi koneru'.
The devotees and the Endowments Department are making arrangements to organise a jatara from January 24 to February 6.
The officials have also approached the RTC authorities to operate special buses for the jatara.
