The Hindu : Row over temple renovation continues

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Row over temple renovation continues

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI Feb. 28. Since the constitution of the Talacauvery and Bhagamandala Temples Jeernodhara Samiti by the Government last year to take up renovations and repairs of the temples, besides enhancing certain civic amenities, controversy of one sort or the other has been following it steadily.

The High Court through a stay order issued on January 29 last directed the Samiti, the district administration and others involved not to take up further work with regard to renovation in and around an area of 29.60 acres in Talacauvery, but instead maintain status quo till service of notice on the respondents.

This has again pushed the renovation issue into rough weather.

The Samiti took up actual renovation work on December 7 last and special granite stone, a monolith, had arrived at Bhagamandala.

The genesis of the problem dates back to October 31, 1995 when a group of persons filed a writ petition in the Munsiff court here praying for perpetual injunction preventing a devotee from carrying out certain development works at Talacauvery. The group prayed before the court to stop activities such as repair or renovation of the Brahma kundike, ablution tank, exit point of gupta gamini, and the surrounding places of the temple of Cauvery located on a paisari (revenue) land of 29.60 acres under Survey No. 2/2. Three applications were filed. The suit was decreed on May 31, 2002.

Subsequently, on appeal by those who opposed the move earlier, the issue came up for hearing before the Civil Judge, Senior Division, Kodagu, who allowed the appeal and on September 20, 2002, reversed the decree of May 31, 2002 granting perpetual injunction. This development paved the way for starting renovation works. Sooner, voices of dissent began to be heard and several individuals and associations argued against defiling the natural environs in the event of renovations.

It could even affect the religious sentiments of devotees, besides harming Nature, they said.

This uproar stemmed from the renovation master plan involving Rs.16 crores, which was prepared by the Chief Architect of the Public Works Department. Improvement of temples in Bhagamandala and Talacauvery, providing amenities such as gallery around the Brahma Kundike, changing room constructions, new structure for Talacuvery, kitchen, circular roads around the sanctum sanctorum and others were opposed. Later, the master plan was scaled down to Rs.10 crores.

Yet, several associations such as the Talacauvery Moolaswarupa Rakshana Vedike and others took up cudgels against the renovation plan, saying activities that could harm nature and its serenity, besides religious sentiments, should not be taken up.

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