Following the gruesome murder of a youngster who eloped with his lover on October 19 at the Taapala Laxminarsimha Swamy temple in Telangana's Karimnagar district in broad daylight, temple authorities have reportedly banned marriages of lovers in the temple.
The temple committee is reported to have put up a banner outside the temple which reads “Prema Vivaahaalu Nishedinichadamainadi”, which translates to "Love marriages are prohibited".
Temple committee in-charge S Venkat Reddy told The New Indian Express that the ban had been in place since the day that the murder took place.
The victim, Mahankali Anil, who worked in a water purification plant fell in love with 18 year-old Hastapuram Mounika and planned to get married against the wishes of the bride’s family.
The bride's family found out about their plan, and nearly 10-15 relatives reached the temple, following which they dragged Anil out of the temple and slit his throat.
The TNIE report also adds that the temple is known for love marriages, with couples from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and other parts of Telangana paying them a visit. The temple has been losing revenue because of the decision, as it used to collect Rs 5,000 from each couple.