Bhadrakali Raathri Pani
Bhadrakali Temple Night Sweeper
Setting: Bhadrakali Temple, Warangal (Warangal).
In English: Bhadrakali Temple Night Sweeper. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
Bhadrakali Temple Night Sweeper
Coconut husk broom dragging — slow, even strokes, courtyard granite stones midha. Yashomati 4:08 AM ki second round chesthundi. Aame age 65 emo, kaani aame back straight ga, aame movement steady ga. Aame saree faded peach, head pallu pinned tight, aame sandals worn rubber. Temple gate closed bayata side ga, aame inner courtyard alone, single tube light corner lo, aame light dim yellow ga. Aame sweep area approximately 600 sq feet — main courtyard, plus side circumambulation path.
Time clock — 4:00 AM aame routine start, 6:00 AM puja preparation team arrive. Aame 2 hours daily, prathi roju, except Tuesdays (full off). Aame service 1987 nunchi continuous ga.
Today February 16, 2025. Sunday morning early ga. Aame standard sweep, aame mind quiet.
[YASHOMATI - INTERNAL] "Naa daughter Saraswati Hyderabad lo aame 35 years ki, ippudu son age 7. Naa aame ki monthly visit, naa salary Rs 4500 plus temple ration plus pension... naaku enough. Naa work peace ga. Aame sweep aame meditation."
Aame third round ki — 4:25 AM ki — courtyard center vaipu nundi oka voice vinipinchindi.
Voice: "Yashomati, aapi okkasari?"
Voice male, age 50s emo, Telugu archaic register, gentle ga. Yashomati pause chesindi. Aame ki ee voice familiar — aame ki sweep duration last 38 years lo aame voice intermittent ga vinipisthe ga, kaani never direct ga aame address chesindhi.
Aame sweep continue, voice ignore. Aame strategy — "Voice ki acknowledge cheyyaledhu, work continue cheyyaali."
Voice next 30 seconds repeat — "Yashomati, naaku oka request undi."
Aame fourth round complete chesindi. Aame ki sweep done — 4:45 AM. Aame broom corner lo place chesindi, sit ground bench midha rest. Aame 15 minutes break before 5:00 AM water sprinkle round.
Aame voice continue — "Yashomati, mee 38 years ee duty consistent ga, naaku gratitude. Naa aame name Bharadwaja, aame age 56 aame poyaaru 1985 ki, naa Bhadrakali Temple chief priest. Naa duty mee mundu generation ga. Naa successor priest 1985 nunchi temple service, kaani aame sweep aame priest duty kaadu, aame separate ga. Mee naa successor not, mee aame independent ga."
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Padmakshi Mettlu
Yashomati ki initial reaction skeptical, kaani aame voice steady ga. Aame ki memory — 1987 ki aame service start chesinappudu, aame predecessor sweeper aame poyaaru recently (peru aame Anasuya, age 70, natural death). Aame replacement role acceptance.
[YASHOMATI - WHISPERED] "Bharadwaja-garu, mee naaku ento cheppali?"
Voice: "Yashomati, mee ki naaku ee acknowledgment first time. Mee 1987 nunchi naaku aware ga, kaani mee silent ga acknowledged. Mee role ki naaku gratitude. Naa request, mee ki naaku oka information share cheyyaali, aame mee post-1991 aame future protection."
Yashomati ki ee reference confusing — aame 1991 ki Bhadrakali flood event. Aame downstream Hanamkonda heavy damage, aame temple-near low areas flooded.
Voice: "Yashomati, mee 1991 flood event ki memory ento?"
Yashomati: "Bharadwaja-garu, naaku aame flood lo naaku family ki damage. Naa son Mahesh aa flood lo poyaaru, age 16, aame swept away road crossing chesthunnappudu. Naa daughter Saraswati protected, aame indoor ga. Naa husband Pratap (age 42) damaged knee, aame chronic. Naa flood post extended grief."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee aame personal history naaku familiar ga. Mee son Mahesh tho naaku acquaintance, aame chinna boy temple visits ki, naaku aame face gurthu. Naaku aame swept away aame loss. Naa request mee ki personal, mee 1991 flood post temple records lo aame name 'Yashomati' missing person ga registered ga, aame body never recovered status ga."
Yashomati freeze. Aame ki ee detail unknown. Aame ki aame name temple records lo? Aame ki disbelief.
Voice: "Yashomati, mee 1991 August 19 night flood aame lo, mee son Mahesh search lo mee kuda flood waters lo entered. Mee body recovered ledhu officially. Naa knowledge, mee body waters lo poyaaru, mee son ki similar. Naa ki aame moment confirmed."
Yashomati: "Bharadwaja-garu, naaku 38 years aame post incident memory standard ga. Naa son loss naaku permanent ga, kaani naa survival memory clear ga. Naa Pratap (husband) tho aame post-flood years, naa Saraswati raise, naa pension, naa temple sweep job 1987 lo started, aame consistent."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee 1987 nunchi sweep job ki, aame Anasuya replacement ga, naaku gurthu. Naaku aame moment lo naaku already temple lo nunchi, naa 1985 lo passed. Naaku aame moment lo aame role ki living candidate consider chesinaru, aame Yashomati real Hanamkonda resident, aame sweeper duty acceptable. Aame aame 1987-1991 aame sweep, aame standard ga. 1991 flood aame lo aame physical end. Naaku aame post 1991, aame role continuance, aame Yashomati equivalent presence ga, kaani physical kaadu. Mee duty 38 years lo, 4 years physical, 34 years post-physical. Mee mee ki own self consciousness aame ki preserved, mee ki memory aame ki present, kaani mee role temple physical service kaadu, aame symbolic continuity."
Yashomati ki body shaking. Aame ki ee revelation — aame 34 years thinking aame physical ga, aame ki self physical ga felt. Aame ki sandals worn, broom physical, salary received Rs 4500 — aame ki real ga. Aame ki Saraswati Hyderabad lo, monthly visits real ga. Aame ki disbelief.
Yashomati: "Bharadwaja-garu, mee ki naaku confused. Naa Saraswati real ga, naa monthly visits real ga, naa salary real ga..."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee Saraswati real ga, mee monthly visits aame perceives ga, kaani aame perceives ga 'mee mother spirit visits, blessing'. Mee daughter aame sense ga aame mother present spiritually. Mee monthly visits subjective ga real, aame ki aame sense ga blessing visits. Mee salary, temple records lo aame ledhu, aame post-1991 lo aame ledhu. Mee perceives ga aame received, aame perceives ga existence. Aame ki temple administration aame perceives ga aame seva, aame perceives ga supplies. Mee role aame collective acknowledgment ga maintained."
Voice: "Yashomati, naa request aame, mee role 38 years lo temple ki valuable ga, aame courtyard sweep done ga. Aame violence ki unintentional collateral aame 1991 flood, aame uncontrolled disaster, aame ki blame allocate cheyyaledhu. Aame loss multi-victim ga, mee son Mahesh aame ki similar. Naa aame ki acknowledge aame collective grief, aame community grief. Mee aame ki acknowledge aame self-loss, aame son joint loss."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee ki naa request, mee ki self-acknowledgment kavali. Mee 34 years self physical ga felt, aame aame physical kaadu. Mee Mahesh ki join aame ki path open. Mee ki choice, continue sweep duty aame symbolic ga (temple ki aame valuable), lekapothe self-acknowledge aame physical end, mee son tho join."
Yashomati ki long silent. Aame ki choice serious ga. Aame ki broom corner lo, aame courtyard granite stones, aame predawn early light. Aame mind processing.
Aame Saraswati ki — Hyderabad lo aame ippatiki sleep ga, age 35 ki. Aame son aame age 7. Aame ippudu phone vasthe, aame ki memory 38 years lo continuous ga.
Yashomati ki personal questions — "Naa Saraswati ki monthly visits aame perceives ga, naaku aame visit ki Karimnagar Express ki ticket book chesaa, aame seat physical ga. Naa Saraswati intlo tea, naa grandson tho play. Aame physical ga felt, kaani aame collective acknowledgment ga only?"
Voice: "Yashomati, mee aame visits aame perceives ga, kaani aame physical impact zero ga. Mee daughter aame morning lo 'naaku amma kala vacchindi' ani aame son ki cheppundi, aame son ki 'maamamma roju vasthundhi' ani perception. Mee daughter ki aame mother loss 1991 lo, aame grief permanent ga, kaani aame perception of mother continuance, aame coping ga sustained."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee choice, mee 34 years self-perception, aame ki delicate ga collapse cheyyaledhu, aame Saraswati ki secondary harm avoid cheyyaali. Mee continue sweep, mee monthly visits perceived ga continue, aame Saraswati ki gradual ga aame mother passed (38 years lo aame age delay aame ki sense), aame ki gradual self-acceptance. Lekapothe, mee abrupt acknowledge, mee Saraswati ki sudden disconnect, aame grief intensified ga, aame violence-equivalent harm psychic ga."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee role gentle continue, aame aame ki, mee Saraswati ki son age 18 ki aame ki natural ga aame mother passed sense gain ga, aame ki aame transition gentle. Aame next 11 years mee continue. Aame ki naa request."
Yashomati ki realization — aame violence avoidance principle ki aame action root. Aame self-action sudden ga aame Saraswati ki harm. Aame slow continuance — aame symbolic, aame Saraswati ki gentle transition.
Yashomati: "Bharadwaja-garu, naaku ardham. Naa continue sweep, naa monthly visits continue. Naa Saraswati ki gradual, naa son age major adult ki aame mother loss aame ki naturally process. Naa duty aame extension aame ki, aame service-cum-protection ga."
Voice: "Yashomati, mee accept ga. Naa gratitude. Mee 11 years duty continue. Aame ki naa final note, naa kuda aame transition oka day, aame temple post age 56 priest spirit lingering ga 40 years. Naa ki aame transition slow ga, aame temple ki dependent ga. Mee ki ee acknowledgment naaku also closure begin ga."
Voice slow ga faded. Yashomati ki body relaxed, kaani heavy ga.
5:00 AM. Aame water sprinkle round start. Routine continue.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Qutb Shahi Tomb 5
Naaku ee story Bhadrakali Temple Hanamkonda head priest current generation Sri Ramana Sastry (age 52, fictional name) dwara, February 2025 ki. Aame ki ee oral lore community ga shared, aame ki retiring priest predecessor Sri Saimon Charlu (age 78) ki revealed 2024 lo, aame ki passing this story to current priest. Aame community oral, plot dramatized fiction.
Aame Yashomati — temple records lo aame name absent ga, kaani aame courtyard sweep aame community ki perceives ga consistent. Aame morning visitors aame nadichuthondi ga, aame temple bench-corner ga acknowledged ga. Aame community treats aame respectful ga, no one questions aame physical status.
Aame Saraswati ki Hyderabad lo aame 35 years ki, aame son aame age 7. Aame mother monthly visits aame perceives ga continue. Aame son ki "maamamma" familiar ga.
Aame 1991 Bhadrakali flood event official records — aame Mahesh (Yashomati son) aame name listed missing, body unrecovered. Aame Yashomati name aame separate listed missing, body unrecovered. Aame Pratap (husband) aame post-flood survived, aame remarried 1995 ki, aame ippatiki Hyderabad lo.
Aame priest Bharadwaja 1985 ki aame natural death documented, aame Hanamkonda local cremation.
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Kakatiya dynasty
Aame community oral acknowledgment aame two presences — Yashomati and Bharadwaja — temple ki linked ga aame service-cum-grief continuance ga. Aame priest Sri Ramana Sastry aame story share ki naaku permission ichaaru, aame condition — "Beta, mee fictional version, aame community discreet, aame Saraswati ki ever know ga aame harm. Aame mother aame passed kaani gradual."
Author's note
Bhadrakali Temple — Hanamkonda lo Kakatiya-era temple, 12th century construction, Pratapa Rudra commissioned ga ASI signage. Bhadrakali Lake adjacent, aame heritage protected complex. 1991 Bhadrakali flood event aame August 19 ki, downstream Hanamkonda areas damage, casualties documented 60+ ga. Naaku 2019 lo college trip lo aame visit, aame morning puja attended, courtyard granite cool felt. Aame story dramatization fiction, kaani temple-community oral acknowledgments ki similar patterns Telangana folk lore lo widespread ga — aame "lingering presences" ki community accommodation patterns existing ga, aame respectful gentle. Aame violence avoidance ki principle — sudden truths aame harmful ga, aame gradual transitions aame protection ga. Naa ee story 2024 December Padmakshi visit consequence ga seed, naaku Hanamkonda Bhadrakali combined trip 2025 February planned. Mee local temple-staff aame rich oral histories share aithe — aame respect ga listen, aame share aame discreet ga. Mee experience comments lo cheppandi.
— Sai Kiran · Lighted Tales
© 2026 Sai Kiran Pandrala / Lighted Tales · https://teluguhorrorstories.blogspot.com
Original Telugu horror fiction. Folk-source material where referenced is public domain.
Modern characters, apartments, companies, and phone numbers are fictional.
Any resemblance to real persons, businesses, or events is coincidental.
Audio version: youtube.com/@Lightedtales
Comments
Post a Comment