Three major temples in the district that attract lakhs of pilgrims from far and wide every year, will soon get a facelift. The facilities will be put into force at Sri Chamundeshwari temple situated atop the Chamundi Hills; the Sri Srikanteshwaraswamy temple in Nanjangud; and the Gunja Narasimhaswamy temple in T. Narasipura.
T.M. Prasad, executive officer of Sri Chamundeshwari temple, told The Hindu that a separate queue line will be formed from the parking lot to the entrance of the temple, and an awning will be erected all along the line to protect the pilgrims from the hot sun or rain. He said restrooms and drinking water facilities will be built along the line.
The construction of a shopping complex is under way and shopkeepers, who have been running shops for many years near the temple, will be allotted shops in the complex, Mr. Prasad said. Multi-level parking is being set up near the temple where more than 600 vehicles can be accommodated. Works to improve infrastructure all around the temple are being taken up at a cost of ₹79 crore. Mr. Prasad said that the proposal to construct an additional guest house atop the hill has been dropped.
Jayaprakash, executive officer of Sri Srikanteshwaraswamy temple in Nanjangud, told The Hindu that widening of ‘Ratha beedhi” (car street) all around the temple is being taken up. After widening the road, it will be concreted, he said. This would prevent untoward incidents, particularly during the annual car festival.
It may be recalled here that for the second consecutive year, the historic car festival of Lord Sri Srikanteshwaraswamy, one of the biggest car festivals in the State, was marred by the chariot veering off the path owing to the bad condition of the road.
Mr. Jayaprakash said the ‘car street’ is about 1.5 km long and is in an oval shape. This will be concreted to avert any accident. An amount of ₹9.65 crore is being spent for developmental works in and around the temple, the EO said.
The Gunja Narasimhaswamy temple in T. Narasipura is also being revamped by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) . The temple dates back to the Vijayanagara empire and is built in the Dravidian style. It is located at the confluence of the Cauvery and the Kabini rivers. The NHAI is taking up repairs and embellishments of the temple and works are expected to be completed by year-end.
