Towering entrance of Srikalahasti temple inAndhra Pradesh collapses

Hyderabad: The 'Rajagopuram' or the towering entrance to the ancient Srikalahasti temple in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district collapsed Wednesday night, police said. No one was injured.
The temple's 136-feet-tall Rajagopuram, which had developed cracks recently, caved in. Police said there was no loss of human life as all shops located near the structure had already been shifted. However, over 100 monkeys are feared dead in the incident.

A large number of devotees gathered near the collapsed structure and expressed their anguish over the negligence by the authorities in protecting the Rajagopuram constructed in 1516 by Srikrishna Devaraya, the ruler of Vijayanagara empire.

On Tuesday, engineers, after an inspection of the seven-storeyed structure, had declared the 150-metre area around it as a danger zone. All shops in the area were then shifted.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah expressed shock over the incident and asked the endowment department to take steps to rebuild the Rajagopuram.

Srikalahasti temple is one among the most visited temples in Andhra Pradesh, and it is considered almost a must visit for anyone who visits the famed Tirupati temple.