The Karnataka government has approved development works worth ₹604 crore for Kukke Subramanya Temple in Dakshina Kannada, with the project now at the tender stage, according to Pawan M.D., a member of the temple’s master plan committee.
The approval follows four meetings held on the development of the temple, Pawan said at a press conference. The proposed works will include 18 components, covering facilities such as a dining hall and a traditional chariot street, according to Satish Kujugodu, another member of the master plan committee.
A key part of the plan is the construction of the temple’s circumambulatory passage, or suttupauli, in keeping with the temple’s traditional architecture. Pawan said the design and construction would be guided by local architects and Agama scholars, whose advice would be taken into account.
The announcement comes after former members of the temple management committee recently alleged that no development had taken place under the master plan. The committee members also criticised the planting of a sapling by the previous administration, alleging that it had been placed below an electricity line and was therefore not scientifically located.
The current administration has said that a cowshed, interlocking pavement work and development of the chariot street hall have been completed during its tenure. These works form part of the development activity cited by the master plan committee while outlining the larger programme approved by the government.
The report does not specify how the ₹604 crore allocation will be divided among the 18 works, nor does it provide the tender value, bidding deadline or construction schedule. It also does not state when work will begin after the tender process. The next formal milestone identified in the announcement is the movement of the approved development programme into the tender stage.
