Simhachalam, June 10, 2025 – A visit to the revered Simhachalam temple today left several devotees, including a local resident, with a mixed experience, raising concerns about alleged overcharging for hair tonsuring services and the quality of purchased prasad.
According to accounts from devotees, the designated hair tonsuring facility at the temple charges a standard fee of ₹40 per head. However, despite clear notices displayed on the walls prohibiting extra charges, barbers were reportedly demanding and receiving additional amounts ranging from ₹20 to ₹50 from devotees. “It was clearly written that no extra money should be asked, but the barbers were openly charging more,” lamented a devotee who underwent the tonsuring ritual this morning.
Adding to the discontent, the quality of the pulihora (lemon rice) prasad available for purchase also came under scrutiny. While complimentary pulihora distributed after darshan was praised for its good quality and taste, the purchased prasad reportedly fell short of expectations. Devotees who were impressed by the free prasad and decided to buy more were disappointed. “The free prasad was really good, with good quality rice, and we all thought the purchased one would be even better. But it was quite the opposite; the rice quality was very bad,” a devotee expressed.
These incidents highlight a need for stricter oversight on the part of the temple authorities to ensure that official guidelines are adhered to and that devotees receive fair and consistent quality services and offerings. The temple administration has yet to issue a statement regarding these allegations.
