• Century-old wooden crane used during Rathotsava wears out 
• Railway Engineers design iron crane; works almost complete 

By M.T. Yogesh Kumar

Mysore/Mysuru: The next Sri Chamundeshwari Rathotsava, an integral part of Mysuru Dasara, will be a hassle-free one with the Railway engineers manufacturing a special iron crane to lift the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari along with the heavy base to be mounted on the 35-feet chariot. The century-old wooden crane (lift in Temple terminology) that was till now being used to mount the idol has worn out and is in a dilapidated condition. 

The new manually-operated crane is being manufactured at Mechanical Millwright Shop of South Western Railway, Mysuru Division Central Workshop. The crane weighs anywhere between five to six tonnes and is 5.5-metre high. It has a capacity to lift 300 kgs. Works are in final stages and the portable crane with wheels is likely to be handed over to Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Management Committee on Jan. 21. 

The Chamundeshwari Rathotsava and Theppotsava are held after Vijayadashami and they mark the culmination of the annual festivities. It is an age-old tradition where the idol of the Goddess is carried on a chariot. The jewellery-decked idol — Utsava Moorthi — is brought from the Temple and mounted on the 35-ft chariot. A wooden crane is used to mount the idol along with its heavy base on the chariot platform that is 20-ft above the ground.  

This wooden crane has been in use since centuries and it has worn out now and it was a huge challenge for the Temple Committee every year as there was always a fear that                                                              the crane would break while lifting  idol and its base. Also, the idol is adorned with gold and           diamond jewellery, it was a risky proposition to mount the same on the chariot. 

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Sri Chamundeshwari Temple Executive Officer N.S. Yatiraj Sampathkumaran said that every year, engineers from Mechanical Millwright Shop would repair the crane and tighten the loose screws. As the crane was dilapidated, there was an urgent need to get a new one and the Temple Committee sent a proposal to the Railways to build an iron crane with an estimated budget of Rs. 5.20 lakh. The funds have been allocated from the Temple earnings,                         he explained. 

“The old crane has been in use since the time of Maharajas and it was risky and prone to accidents and as such, the new crane has been ordered. Engineers from Mechanical Millwright Shop had the technology, technical know-how and the expertise to build the crane. The crane has wheels and can be carried in a truck easily and as it is made of iron, it will last for years,” he said.  

The crane is being built under the guidance of Central Workshop and the team is led by Dr. Manjegowda, who is the in-charge of Mechanical Millwright Shop. Other members of the engineering team include Udhay Kumar, Shivananda, Vinod Kumar and staff Narayan, Nagaraj, V. Nagaraj, C.S. Arjun and Bharat Singh.