Restored Devi Cheruvu draws crowds during Peddagattu jatara

Devi Cheruvu of Durajpally, an irrigation tank that was restored under Mission Kakatiya and filled with water from the Godavari via the Kaleshwaram project through SRSP canal, is drawing the attention of devotees.

Suryapet: Devi Cheruvu of Durajpally, an irrigation tank that was restored under Mission Kakatiya and filled with water from the Godavari via the Kaleshwaram project through SRSP canal, is drawing the attention of devotees, who came to the Sri Lingamanthula Swamy jatara (Peddagattu jatara) in the district.

Before 2014, the irrigation tank used to be dried up at the time of the jatara and devotees would camp on the dry tankbed. They used to struggle to get drinking water and had to depend on agricultural bore-wells in the area for a bath. The situation is in stark contrast to 2014 now. Devi Cheruvu, located adjacent to Peddagattu at Durajpally, was restored under Mission Kakatiya to its actual water storage capacity of 1.545 million cubic meters by spending Rs 46.64 lakh.

The monsoon did half the job, bringing water up to half the storage level. The rest of the job was done with the help of the Kaleshwaram project, through which the irrigation tank was filled with Godavari water through the SRSP canal to its full storage capacity. Now, the water body is brimming and with the surroundings being illuminated, it has become a busy spot for devotees coming for the jatara.

The devotees, who need to walk along the bund of the irrigation tank to reach the Sri Lingamanthula Swamy temple, were happy and discussing among themselves the striking transformation of the tank.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, a devotee from Vijayawada, Pilli Durgamma, said she was visiting the jatara for the last 40 years and the irrigation tank was always dry whenever she saw it. Her family members, earlier used to even park their vehicle on the tankbed and set up tents for the night.

Another devotee from Guntur, Dongala Laxmaiah, said they earlier used to purchase water for cooking and other purposes. Now, drinking water was being supplied to all locations of the jatara by setting up water taps under Mission Bhagiratha. The drinking water quality was better than that being supplied through water taps in Guntur, Laxmaiah said.