Other States   

Winners at home away from home

Shyamhari Chakra

Oriyas of Mysore set their sights high

BHUBANESWAR: Oriyas have conquered the hearts of the people of Karnataka; courtesy an act of benevolence at their home away from home.

The 13-year-old Oriya Association of Mysore, a community cultural organisation, has not only ventured to renovate an 800-year-old abandoned temple near the historic city of their stay, but has embarked upon an ambitious plan to promote it into a favourite destination for tourists and pilgrims.

And they have also pledged to install their dearest deities - Lord Jagannath, brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra - on the temple premises.

Speaking to The Hindu over the telephone from Mysore, association president D. K. Mishra recollected that the community members discovered the dilapidated and abandoned shrine on the south bank of the Kaveri in 2003, barely 2 km awa y from the Mysore-Vrindavan Gardens Road, where they had congregated for immersion of the idol of Lord Ganesh. "We had a long cherished dream to build up a Jagannath temple in Mysore.

But, when we chanced upon this temple, we thought it our sacred duty to renovate it. We also felt that we could install the three idols on this temple premises," explained Mr.Mishra.

It was not an easy task, for it required permission from the Government, the right kind of human resource and huge funds.

"After a year of persuasion we obtained permission to restore the temple and to perform rituals of the presiding deities - Lord Venkateshwara and Bhoga Narasimha with his consorts Bhudevi and Sridevi since April 14, 2005", Mr.Mishra said.

The asociation constituted a 13-member task force comprising experts like M. S. Nagaraj Rao, former Director General of Archaeological Survey of India, M. S. Krishna Murthy, former head of the department of Ancient History and Archaeology in University of Mysore and Salva Pille Iyengar, a scholar in Sanskrit to guide the renovation work.

"The herculean task requires Rs.35 lakhs and thus we appealed to people of Orissa and Karnataka for contribution.

We are getting excellent response from the people of Karnataka while it has been a lukewarm response from our people in Orissa," Mr.Mishra said but added that the association had resolved to go ahead despite funds constraints.

"Without altering the original architecture, the restoration work has been going on in full swing since November and it has got excellent appreciation from the experts, the Government and the media as well.

Installation ceremony of the idols of the three deities will be performed on January 20 next year.

While tourists and devotees keep coming to the site, we have already planned to build up a community centre here," Mr. Mishra said.

Information on the ongoing project and the Oriya Association of Mysore can be obtained from www.mysoreoriya.org

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Winners at home away from home
XIMB inks deal for hi-tech PG course
No fresh batch for SCB college this year
Heated debate
Toppers felicitated
Honour for academician

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu