Matters related to God and faith often turn highly sensitive, and even an unintentional misstep can spark serious controversy. A few months ago, an anchor faced severe backlash for her comments on Tirumala prasadam, with the criticism continuing despite her apology. Now, young actress Tina Sravya has found herself at the center of a similar controversy.

At the Medaram Jatara, a centuries-old tradition involves devotees offering jaggery equivalent to the weight of their children as part of a sacred vow. However, Tina Sravya reportedly weighed her pet dog and offered jaggery of the same weight to fulfil her vow, an act that triggered widespread outrage and criticism.

Many devotees questioned how a religious vow could be performed in the name of a pet, stating that the act hurt their religious sentiments and disrespected the deeply rooted traditions of the Medaram Jatara and tribal customs.

To prevent the issue from escalating further, Tina Sravya issued a prompt apology. She explained that her 12-year-old pet dog had undergone surgery for a tumour and, during that difficult phase, she had prayed to Goddess Sammakka for its recovery. After the dog recovered as hoped, she went to Medaram to fulfil the vow she had made.

Tina clarified that since the vow was taken for her pet, she offered jaggery equivalent to its weight, emphasizing that her actions were guided by devotion and love, with no intention to insult religious beliefs or hurt sentiments. She also admitted that she later realized her act went against the established traditions of the Medaram Jatara and tribal practices.

Expressing deep regret, Tina apologised to devotees who were hurt by her actions, assured that such a mistake would not be repeated in the future, reaffirmed her respect for religious traditions, and requested everyone to put the controversy to rest. With her apology and clarification, the issue can now be considered closed.