Melukote: Ending the 52-year-long legal battle over the “Naama” that will adorn the Chikka Gopura (small dome) of the famed Sri Yoganarasimhaswamy Hill  temple at Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, the Pandavapura JMFC Court has ordered that the temple be adorned with ‘Tengalenaama’ (see ‘naama’ inside circle in pic.).

The row began when as per the then Tahsildar’s order, the  ‘Tengalenaama’ of the temple was replaced with ‘Vadagalenaama’ during the temple renovation held in 1972, following which a row erupted. Later, the matter came up before the Karnataka High Court in 1973, following which the HC directed that the dispute be resolved at Pandavapura Junior Civil Court.

As the matter was not settled even at the Pandavapura Junior Civil Court, the matter came up before the Pandavapura Senior Civil and JMFC Court. Now the Court finally resolved the issue, ordering that the temple be adorned with ‘Tengalenaama.’

Following a 29-page order of the JMFC Court, the Commissioner of Religious Endowment issued directions to the temple authorities to follow the Court order. Subsequently, the ‘Vadagalenaama’ adorning the Gopura was replaced with ‘Tengalenaama’ on Thursday last in the presence of Sri Yoganarasimhaswamy Temple Executive Officer Mahesh, Parupattegaar Sridhar, Priest Narayana Bhat, Vidwan B.V. Anand Alvar and others.