Free distribution of ‘kodelu’ (bulls) relaunched following death of 13 ‘kodelu’ at Vemulawada temple goshala

Veterinarians monitoring the health of ‘kodelu’ at the goshala of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada of Rajanna Sircilla district on Saturday. | Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT

The death of around 13 kodelu (bulls) at the Thippapur-based goshala of the historic Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada within a span of 48 hours on Friday and Saturday (May 31), prompted the temple authorities to restart the free Kodelu distribution exercise on Sunday (June 1, 2025) after a long gap.

The pathetic condition of most of the kodelu in the overcrowded goshala sparked outrage among devotees, triggering demands for a detailed inquiry to probe their death and relocation of the goshala to spacious premises.

At present, the goshala has around 1200 kodelu against its capacity to house 450 to 500 cattle, mainly calves, donated by devotees to the temple, resulting in taking a toll on their health, sources said.

In July 2024, the temple authorities launched free distribution of kodelu (bulls and cows) to eligible farmers for agricultural purpose only in a bid to ease burden on the goshala. After distribution of kodelu in different phases, the entire exercise came to a virtual halt so far this year following the alleged misuse of the scheme by some unscrupulous elements at the fag-end of last year, sources added.

Following the death of more than a dozen kodelu in quick succession at the Thippapur goshala in the last three days, the authorities have relaunched the kodelu distribution scheme in the temple town on Sunday.

Donation of kodelu to the temple by ardent devotees of Lord Raja Rajeshwara Swamy is an age-old practice symbolising their unflinching devotion towards the temple deity, noted Hanumandlu of Karimnagar.

The free distribution of Kodelu has been launched under the direct supervision of Rajanna Sircilla Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha in Vemulawada, said temple executive officer K. Vinod Reddy.

Speaking to The Hindu, he said: “The elaborate exercise for distribution of 300 kodelu to the eligible farmers began in the temple town in adherence to a foolproof method. They are being handed over to the beneficiaries after geo-tagging them to ensure the proper maintenance and care.”

A veterinary medical camp is being organised at Thippapur goshala to constantly monitor the health of some of the ailing kodelu, said District Veterinary Officer Ravinder Reddy. “We have saved the lives of 16 kodelu by providing prompt medical care,” he said, adding that eight kodelu died on May 30 and five died on May 31 due to ill health. Around 500 kodelu were administered LSD vaccination as a safety precaution.

Published - June 01, 2025 08:48 pm IST