Vemulawada temple in Telangana to distribute cattle for free amid overcrowding

RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: In response to the increasing maintenance burden of the cattle shed (gaushala) at Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada, authorities have decided to distribute cows and oxen to farmers and Hindu organisations at no cost. The shed, originally designed to accommodate 300 heads of cattle, now houses over 2,000.

District collector Sandeep Kumar Jha convened a review meeting on Monday. During the meeting, applications were invited from eligible individuals and organisations. Prior to distribution, health reports for each cattle must be prepared. A committee, with the collector as the chairperson, has been established to manage this distribution system. The members of this committee will be the temple executive officer, revenue divisional officer, agriculture officer, municipal commissioner and a representative from an NGO.

The collector said that the number of cattle, including cows and oxen, has increased significantly due to donations from devotees. Gaushala organisers and societies are encouraged to apply at Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple for the distribution.

Jha said that the temple receives around 2,500 oxen donations annually. The cattle shed will retain approximately 450 to 500 cattle, while the remaining will be distributed to eligible organisations on an ongoing basis, he said.

Meanwhile, the Endowments department has released Rs 1 crore for the renovation of the cattle shed, with a tender process to be completed on an urgent basis to start the renovation work. The collector also announced that the application process for free distribution of cows and oxen will be available through a Google link, the temple’s website, and offline methods.

It may be mentioned here that due to the increasing number of cattle, the existing facilities are inadequate. Two days ago, five oxen died due to ill health. The temple’s revenue is largely generated through the ox tying (Kode Mokkulu) ritual.