Annavaram temple suspends two employees after rat sighting at prasadam counter

Sri Veera Venkata Sathyanarayana Swamy Vari Devasthanam Executive Officer V. Trinadha Rao on Sunday (January 25, 2026) suspended two employees at the prasadam sales counter after a devotee reported the presence of rats inside the counter.

On the night of January 22, a devotee had noticed movements of rats adjacent to the baskets of prasadam placed at the sales counter. The temple authorities run a prasadam counter at the foot of the hill for the devotees traveling on the national highway. The devotee took a video and shared it on social network, alerting the temple authorities.

When contacted on Sunday, the temple’s Executive Officer confirmed to The Hindu over the phone, “Two employees — sales counter clerk Y. Trimurthulu and security guard Y. Raju — have been suspended for failing to report the need for repairs to the entry door of the counter.” Rats reportedly entered the prasad counter from nearby agricultural fields along the highway.

New doors have been installed and the prasad kept in the four baskets has been set aside as claimed by the temple authorities.