Stakeholders demand retaining Hill as heritage, pilgrimage destination and not as a tourist centre

Mysore/Mysuru: The State Budget for 2023-24 presented yesterday by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, who holds the Finance portfolio, includes a proposal to establish Chamundi Hill Development Authority, which aims to facilitate sustainable development of the Hill.

“This Chamundi Hill Development Authority will also focus on providing essential infrastructure for the Hill Temple’s numerous devotees in Mysuru,” Siddharamaiah said. Though the CM has made the announcement, it is not yet clear when the Authority will be established or what its powers will be.

There is a growing demand in Mysuru for the establishment of Chamundi Hill Development Authority, a statutory body that would have the powers and say to oversee the development and conservation of Chamundi Hill.

The demand is due to concerns about the environmental degradation of Chamundi Hill, a home to a variety of flora and fauna, and it is also a popular tourist destination. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in construction activity which has led to concerns about the impact on the environment.

According to stakeholders and environment activists, the Authority would be responsible for regulating development on the Hill and ensuring that it is done in a sustainable manner. It would also be responsible for conserving natural resources of the Hill and promoting its tourism potential in a balanced way.

Preserve sanctity of Hill

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Prof. N.S Rangaraju, retired Professor from Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore, who is also a Member of Heritage Conservation Committee, Government of Karnataka, said that the constitution of Chamundi Hill Development Authority is a good move but the question is in what way it will function.

“Chamundi Hill is a declared heritage area and it has got three types of heritage there — natural heritage, living heritage and cultural heritage. And there are temples that have been declared as monuments. We must recognise the historical significance of the area as it has 10th-century Ganga inscriptions and the presence of the Mahabaleshwaraswamy Temple, which is the oldest in the region and dates back to the 10th century CE,” Prof. Rangaraju said.

“We have to keep this in mind and the area must be maintained as a religious centre only and not a commercial set up. My fear is that Chamundi Hill must not be another Nandi Hill or another Male Mahadeshwara Hill which have been spoiled by commercialisation and over-exploitation,” he added.

First and foremost, private buses must be banned atop the Hill as it was implemented 15 years ago in Ajanta and Ellora and also Sri Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta. “Use electric vehicles such as KSRTC’s EVs or have minibuses for transport,” he said. 

Ensure sustainable development

Parashuram Gowda of Parisara Balaga and Chamundi Betta Ulisi Samithi said that the constitution of the Authority was one of their main requests. The Hill is currently under the jurisdiction of the Muzrai Department, local Gram Panchayat and the Department of Tourism, leading to a lack of coordination. To address this issue, all regulatory matters should fall under a unified administration.

“The primary objective of this Authority must be to ensure comprehensive and sustainable development that respects the geography of the Hill, inherent beauty and religious sanctity of the Chamundi Hill,” he said.