Tirupati, May 15: Karnataka’s mining barons, the Gali Reddy brothers on Saturday donated a diamond-studded crown worth an estimated Rs 12 crore to Gnana Prasoonambika Devi, the consort of Lord Srikalahasteeswara, the presiding deity of the Srikalahasti temple.
The Reddy Brothers’ offering came a day after their friend Y S Jaganmohan Reddy won the Kadapa Lok Sabha byelection by a whopping majority of 5.46 lakh votes.
The Reddy Brothers — Karnataka revue minister Karunakara Reddy, tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy, and Bellary MLA G Somashekara Reddy — have close links with Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family and extensive industrial interests in Andhra Pradesh.
These include the Brahmani steel plant and the Obulapuram iron ore mines in Anantapur district, both of which became operational during the tenure of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s father, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.Speaking to newsmen after handing over the ornaments plus some more donations, Gali Karunakar Reddy refused to reveal their total worth. “I wanted to donate the ornaments to the deity and I did so. One does not reveal the cost of objects donated to god,’’ he said.
The 13 kg crown is studded with about 800 diamonds sourced from South Africa.
Apart from the crown, the ornaments include a diamond-studded armour, pidi hastham, lamba hastham, nagabharanam, padukalu (footwear), a gold-woven sari, bangaru jada (golden plait).
The brothers are said to have taken measurements of the deity six months ago to have the ornaments made.
According to officials of the Srikalahasthi temple, pujas will be performed to the ornaments before they are offered to the deity Sunday.
Whopping donations to deities are nothing new to the Reddy Brothers. In 2009, they presented a diamond-studded gold crown estimated to be worth Rs 45 crore to the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.
–Agencies