Hyderabad: A temple in Andhra Pradesh has been decorated with currency notes of over Rs 5 crore as part of the ongoing Dasara celebrations. The deity at Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari temple in Nellore district has been decked up with currency notes worth Rs 5.16 crore.
Over 100 volunteers worked for several hours to decorate the temple with notes of the denominations of Rs 2,000, Rs 500, Rs 200, Rs 100, Rs 50, and Rs 10. The organisers adorned the deity with garlands and bouquets of origami flowers made from the currency notes of various denominations and colours.
The currency notes of different colours have added to the beauty of the temple attracting devotees from various places.
A large number of devotees worship the deity in the ‘avatar’ of ‘Dhanalakshmi’, the goddess of riches, during the navratri celebrations.
According to Nellore Urban Development Authority (NUDA) chairman and member of the temple committee Mukkala Dwarakanath, the committee recently completed renovation works of the temple at a cost of Rs 11 crore.
“Since this is the first celebration after the completion of the renovation works which took four years, the committee decided to decorate the deity with currency notes,” he said.
Members of the committee and devotees collected new currency notes and hired the services of artists to take up the unique decoration. The committee also plan to decorate the deity with 7 kg gold and 60 kg silver as part of the Dasara celebrations
However, this is not the first instance of a temple getting decorated with currency notes. Kanyaka Parameswari temple in Telangana’s Jogulamba Gadwal district was decorated with currency notes amounting to Rs 1,11,11,111.
In 2017, the temple committee had made the offering in a similar arrangement with the currency notes amounting Rs 3,33,33,333.