Telangana CM’s ‘Yagam’ a thoughtful initiative: Narendra Modi

Hyderabad:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s just concluded ‘Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagam’ as a “thoughtful initiative” and hoped it will foster spiritual welfare of all souls and spread the message of peace.

Modi conveyed wishes to Rao for successful conclusion of the mega religious ritual that drew to a close on December27, the state government said here today.

“Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes for the success of Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagam and expressed hope that this thoughtful initiative will foster spiritual welfare of all souls by spreading the message of ‘lok kalyan’ (people’s welfare) and vishwa shanti (global peace),” said a release from Rao’s office.

The ‘Yagam’ was conducted for five days at Rao’s farm house at Erravelli village in neighbouring Medak district fromDecember 23.

The event which involved non-stop chanting of mantras on all days besides devotional programmes, including bhajans and ‘harikatha’ (recital of religious stories), was attended by several dignitaries and spiritual leaders.

The stated objective of the ceremony was to promote universal peace and people’s welfare.

Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah, his Maharashtra counterpart C Vidyasagar Rao, Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Bandaru Dattatreya, NCP President Sharad Pawar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu were among the prominent personalities who visited the Yagam

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Telangana govt not following KRMB’s orders: Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to lodge a complaint with the Union ministry of water resources against Telangana for alleged non-implementation of orders issued by the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

Irked by the 'erratic' water release from Nagarjunasagar dam by the Telangana government, AP irrigation officials have decided to bring the issue to the notice of the Centre. Alleging that the delay to implement KRMB's order had caused severe hardship to people in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts, the state government prepared a detailed report on the water released from Nagarjunasagar.

The board in its order on December 5 asked Telangana to release four tmc feet water to cater to the drinking needs of people in Krishna delta.

First, Telangana irrigation officials did not agree to release water. However, after a series of meetings and negotiations, water was released intermittently into the river.

"The erratic supply has defeated the very purpose of water release. The evaporation loss was high. Of the four tmc ft water released, AP could get only three tmc ft," pointed out a senior engineer in the AP irrigation department.

Telangana, on the other hand, denied the charge and clarified that it had no role in the release of water from Nagarjunasagar dam.

"Water release is regulated by the Krishna River Management Board. The Telangana government has no say in this," said Telangana irrigation principal secretary SK Joshi. The AP irrigation officials have prepared a detailed report and sought permission of the government to submit it to the Centre. The department has highlighted in the note KRMB's decisions and their actual implementation during 2014 and 2015. "The KRMB has become a toothless body. It is not in a position to implement its own orders," a senior official in AP government said. According to AP irrigation officials, in 2014, three orders issued by the KRMB were either not followed or delayed by Telangana resulting in loss of crop.

Similarly, in 2015, the orders on release of water for drinking purpose were delayed causing hardship to people in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts. The AP irrigation department has also pointed out that never in the past, water was stored at Nagarjunasagar compromising the interests of the Krishna delta.

Cold wave in Telangana to get worse by next week

HYDERABAD: Even as the state is reeling under a severe cold wave, meteorological experts warn that the situation might only worsen by next week. As on Sunday, the capital city, Hyderabad shivered as the mercury levels dropped to 12 degree Celsius, the lowest this season.

"The cold wave conditions are going to prevail over Telangana for the next week. As the days progress, it is predicted that the cold wave would intensify," G P Sharma, vice president, meteorology, Skymet, told TOI.

He attributed the dip in temperatures to the flow of dry and cold northerly and north-westerly winds from the hilly regions up to Maharashtra and Telangana across Madhya Pradesh for the last four to five days.

"Due to this continuous flow of icy winds from the snow-clad mountains, maximum temperatures across the region have been settling in mid 20s, which are around 3-5 degrees below normal. While, minimum temperatures are under 10°C and are below normal by 5-7 degrees," he said.

Y K Reddy, director, met department, described the cold wave as dip in normal minimum temperature by at least five degrees Celsius, which is calculated by gauging the average minimum temperature recorded during this time of the year vis-a-vis the last 30-years. "We have issued a cold wave warning till December 29, many districts located in northern Telangana are already feeling the chill. In places like Nizamabad and Karimnagar, we predict the minimum temperature to go below 10 degrees Celsius. Whereas for the city of Hyderabad the temperature would stand around 11 degrees Celsius," he said. For the upcoming week, weathermen predicted that the minimum temperature would hover around 13-15 degrees Celsius. Not just dip in temperatures, people of the city would also have to brace for misty mornings, warn met experts. However, the city witnessed the fiercest cold wave, last year when the minimum temperatures dipped to 9.8 degree Celsius. The city's lowest temperature in its recorded history was 6.1 degree on January 8, 1946 and that of the state was a little lower at 4.4 degrees which was recorded in Nizamabad on December 17, 1897. 

Hyderabad: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to visit T-Hub on Monday

Software giant Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella is scheduled to visit the city-based T-Hub on Monday. 

"Nadella will visit T-Hub in the city tomorrow. T-hub is the technological incubation centre set up by the Telangana government. He will interact with start-up entrepreneurs," Telangana IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan told PTI on Sunday. When asked about Nadella's four-day visit, Jayesh said, "He (Nadella) is on a private visit".

Telangana's IT Minister K T Rama Rao had earlier said "Satya Nadella is coming on December 28. He is visiting T-Hub. We are planning to inaugurate some of our initiatives during that time. We are also inviting some other dignitaries." This will be for second time Nadella is visiting Hyderabad.

During his visit in September last year, the IT giant chief addressed Microsoft's employees at its India Development Centre (IDC) here. T-Hub is a technology incubator with collaborative efforts from the Indian School of Business (ISB), the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Hyderabad) and NALSAR University of Law, besides various other organisations.

The Telangana government had put in Rs 40 crore on the 70,000 sq ft facility constructed on the IIT-H campus. 

Meanwhile, Nadella is also expected to meet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tomorrow. "Though, it is not officially confirmed, AP CM may seek Microsoft's cooperation in implementing some of the Government schemes on MS cloud computing platforms", an AP Government official said

50,000 visitors a day, 1,500 priests chanting hymns at yagnam to ‘bring KCR success’

With 1,500 priests and over 50,000 visitors daily for five days, the last two bringing an estimated 70,000-80,000 including political leaders from various parties, a yagnam organised by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao earned comparisons to the kind that used to be held by kings.

The Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagnam by KCR, a strong believer in God and astrology, concluded Sunday. Said to have cost Rs 7 crore, it involved sacred fires lit and ceremonies performed to appease the gods, ward off evil spirits, remove obstacles to success, bring prosperity and empower the performer with fortune.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu walked into the venue of the yagnam at KCR’s sprawling farmhouse at Eravelli village in Medak district Sunday. Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan and his wife participated in all the rituals from day one. The stream of VIPs who came for blessings included Art of Living’s Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Bandaru Dattatreya, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu governors Vidyasagar Rao and K Rosaiah, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, religious heads and seers of various peethams across the country, and former chief justices. KCR’s entire cabinet, MLAs, MLCs and MPs and party leaders took a break from work and participated in the rituals.

The increased footfall over the last two days followed reports that no yagnam on this scale had been performed by anyone in the last 200 years, even by kings. A similar Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagnam was performed at Sringeri peetham in Karnataka in 2011 but apparently on a lower scale.

A minor fire burnt parts of the ceiling of the pandal Sunday but it was quickly brought under control. The huge ornamental pandal decorated with flowers covered several acres. Art directors were engaged to give it a traditional yet regal look.

The yagnam started December 22 with the 1,500 priests chanting Vedic hymns Sapthashathi Pranaya and Chandiyaga Vakshari 10,000 times over the five days. Hundreds of kilos of ghee were poured into 108 homagundams or sacred fire pits to appease the gods, especially the raingods with parts of Telangana hit by a water shortage.

Each day all priests, KCR, the men of his family, and everyone involved in the rituals wore new colourful silk robes — from dazzling pink to fern green to turmeric yellow —which were provided by the organisers. Temporary kutirs were set up for the priests known as Ritviks to spend the nights. As the devotees and the faithful lined up, thousands of chairs were laid out for the guests and visitors and huge LED screens displayed the rituals live in the pandals. At the back of the venue, some 150 cooks from various parts of Telangana dished out a feast for the 50,000 or more visitors daily. Six Vedic pandits from the Sringeri Mutt supervised the yagnam. Nearly 2,000 police personnel were deployed at various places.

Before he undertook it, KCR said it was a personal effort as he had taken a vow to perform a yagnam if the separate state of Telangana became a reality. KCR said he and his well-wishers and donors contributed the funds. At end of the ritual, the priests from Sringeri peetham tied a gold bracelet on KCR’s right wrist, meant to bring him good luck, guide him on a righteous path and lead to prosperity for Telangana.

“KCR ensured that everyone, whether it was a VIP or a common visitor, took blessings and partook of food and prasadam,” said Endowments Minister Indrakaran Reddy who oversaw the arrangements.