The historic Bappanadu temple arch in Mangaluru has been shifted 77 feet horizontally to make way for the widening of National Highway 66, preserving the structure without dismantling a single brick.
The entrance gateway, known as the ‘Swagatha Gopura’ of Bappanadu Shree Durgaparameshwari Temple, was relocated on Thursday through a controlled engineering operation, according to Jeevan K Shetty, engineering consultant with Sharada Associates. The relocation was required because the existing arch stood within the land acquired for the NH 66 project.
Rather than demolishing the gateway, the project team developed a method to retain its architectural identity and cultural significance. The arch was donated to the temple in 1996 by Aikala Harish Shetty, president of the Federation of Worlds Bunts Association, and his family. Aikala Harish Shetty also agreed to bear the entire cost of the relocation, the report said.
Jeevan Shetty served as project engineer and coordinator, working with the donor, temple management, the National Highways Authority of India, other government departments and the contractors involved in the operation. Engineer Nithin Devadiga provided technical and structural guidance, while Haryana-based HSPL carried out the relocation work.
The operation was completed in five phases using specially prepared movement tracks, rollers and manually operated jacking arrangements. The engineering team had to account for an overhead high-tension electrical line and an existing rainwater drainage system while moving the structure.
The arch has now been placed beyond the land acquired for the highway project. Its new position also takes account of the temple’s annual festival and the movement of ceremonial vehicles along the Rathabeedi. Space has been retained for the sacred ‘Brahmaratha’ to pass safely beside the gateway.
The team also ensured sufficient vertical clearance for the ‘Vimana Ratha’ to pass beneath the arch during the festival. To achieve this, the gateway was lifted by an additional one foot as part of the final stage of the work, Shetty said.
The relocation demonstrates the construction and administrative coordination required when highway expansion intersects with established religious and cultural structures. In this case, the project involved the temple management, the highway authority, government departments, engineers, contractors and the private donor funding the preservation work.
The relocated arch is now positioned outside the acquired highway land, with the stated objective of allowing NH 66 widening to proceed while retaining the temple’s entrance structure and maintaining access for its annual religious procession.
