Hyderabad: A head priest was warned by the Telangana endowments department after they found liquor bottles in a Shiva temple in Manuguru village of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
Based on complaints from locals, the endowments officers conducted a search and found liquor bottles inside the temple. It is alleged that the head priest got addicted to alcohol after suffering from health issues.
A priest serving Lord Shiva for the past several years was reprimanded by the endowments officials recently, after they found empty alcohol bottles the the temple’s premises.
The revelation came from a famous Shiva temple in Manuguru in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, where the head priest, known to have been suffering health issues, reportedly got addicted to alcohol.
When the endowments officials recently entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, they found the liquor bottles there, after someone complained to them.
The priest was reprimanded by the officials concerned, and warned against repeating the same again.
In several tribal regions of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and other states, devotees of Lord Shiva traditionally offer Mahua liquor, locally known as Ippah Sara, as a sacred offering. Made from the seasonal mahua flower, this indigenous drink holds ritual significance during festivals and local observances.
However, due to seasonal availability and regulatory restrictions on the production of mahua liquor, many devotees substitute it with commercially available alcohol. In some areas, non-vegetarian food is also offered as part of the ritual, reflecting regional customs and interpretations of devotion.
This practice isn’t limited to Lord Shiva. In Telangana, alcohol and toddy are also commonly offered to local deities such as Yellamma, Maisamma, and Pochamma, showcasing the diverse and syncretic nature of folk worship traditions across the region.
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