Mysuru: With 54 days remaining for the Dasara Navaratri to commence, the city is getting spruced up for the annual grand affair. This year’s Dasara will be a perfect blend of simplicity and grandeur and will be celebrated from September 21 to 30 and the State Government has promised to release Rs. 13.5 crore for the event.

Along with roads, this time, historical temples, most of which are in the premises of Mysore Palace, will get a facelift and renovation works have already begun. The renovation and rejuvenation works are being taken up jointly by the Muzarai Department and the Department of Tourism. Along with the iconic Palace, the District Administration is planning to draw more tourists to these temples that have elaborate history.

These temples have been built by the Wadiyar rulers in all the 8 directions of the Mysore Palace. Among them are the Lakshmiramana Temple built in 1499 in Dravida Style by Immadi Chamaraja Wadiyar, Trinayaneshwara Temple that was built in 1569 by Raja Wadiyar, Shwetha Varaha Swamy Temple and Mahalakshmi Temple built in Hoysala Style by Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar in 1673, Khille Venkataramana Swamy Temple built in Dravida Style by Immadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1734, Prasanna Krishnaswamy Temple that was built by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1829, Bhuvaneshwari Temple built by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar in 1951 and the Gayathri Devi Temple that was built in 1953.

The District Administration has taken up the restoration works of Trinayaneshwara or Trineshwara Temple that is in a dilapidated condition. The works include supporting the existing old pillars with new pillars, supporting the entrance arches and cementing cracks. The immediate surroundings of the temples are being beautified with new walkways and inter-locking cement slabs.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep said that in all, 11 temples will be renovated. While the Muzarai Department has taken up the renovation of 7 temples at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.9 crore, the Tourism Department will take the responsibility of repairing 4 temples at a cost of Rs. 1.80 crore.

At the Trineshwara Temple, the Tourism Department has taken up development works worth Rs. 45 lakh and Rs. 51 lakh will be used to renovate Prasanna Krishna Swamy Temple. Rs. 22 lakh will be spent to renovate Lakshminarayana Temple and Rs. 70 lakh will be used to renovate Shwetha Varaha Swamy Temple.  

Likewise, the Muzarai Department will take up the restoration works of Lakshmi Venkataramana Swamy Temple, Panduranga Temple, Lakshmiramana Temple, and Gayathri Temple inside the Palace premises. Along with these temples, the Rajagopura of the Lakshmiramana Temple will be renovated. Plans are also on to take up developmental works of Kote Maramma Temple, Anjaneya and Ganapathi Temples, Nandi Temple atop Chamundi Hill and also the Kama Kameshwari Temple on the Ramanuja Road.

Tenders have also been called to renovate Agasthyeshwara, Somanatheshwara, Panchalingeshwara and Dharmapura Channakeshava Temple at in T. Narasipur and Tharikallu Temple in Hunsur Taluk.

MAJOR ROADS

Major roads in Mysuru will be spruced up at a cost of Rs. 55 crore under the Chief Minister’s Special Grants. The roads include KRS Road, Bogadi Road, New Kantharaj Urs Road, JLB Road, Kuvempunagar Double Road, and Bengaluru-Mysuru Road (from Millennium Circle to Columbia Asia Hospital).

Over 250 works have been taken up including repairing and asphalting, pothole filling, setting up medians and footpaths, painting of medians and laying of tiles to footpaths.

MODERN TRAFFIC SIGNALS

Traffic signals at all 52 prominent traffic junctions will be modernised and smart signal lights by the end of August. These signals will automatically change lights (red, yellow and green) based on the density of the traffic on a particular stretch. The new signals will replace the existing ones.

The new system that is being installed at a cost of Rs. 4 crore will reduce the delay and also adapt to fluctuation in   traffic flows.