Date:02/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/02/stories/2008070257860300.htm

Karnataka

Work on to restore roof of underground shrine

Correspondent

Portion of the roof collapsed owing to heavy rain on Sunday

CHIKMAGALUR: The State Government and the district administration have initiated steps to restore a portion of the roof of the underground shrine at Dattatreya Peetha in Bababudangiri that collapsed owing to heavy rain on Sunday.

Naveen Raj Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Chikmagalur district, told presspersons here on Monday that restoration had commenced with technical assistance from experts from Bangalore.

Reiterating that the directions of the High Court about maintaining status quo would be strictly adhered to, he said the shrine had been temporarily closed to pilgrims who would have to make their offerings at its entrance.

Stating that the Government and the High Court had been informed of the measures being taken to restore the controversial structure, he said steps had been taken to prevent rainwater from entering it.

Endowment Commissioner Prabhakar, who visited the spot on Monday, announced that Rs. 60 lakh had been transferred to the district administration from the peetha committee for taking up the work.

B.S. Vittal Rao, State unit secretary of the Datta Peetha Samvardhana Samiti, blamed the Muzrai Department and the district administration for the incident. He pointed out that cracks had appeared in the structure in 1998 and the samiti had brought it to the notice of the then Endowment Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner urging them to undertake repairs.