Mysore/Mysuru: The number of devotees visiting temples swell during Ashada Masa (month) especially during Fridays which is considered to be auspicious. It is a treat to watch ‘alankaras’ (decoration) made to Goddess idols with various flowers and fruits at almost all temples during these days.

One such temple which attracts the art-loving eyes too is 200-year-old Sri Kollapurada Mahalakshmi Temple on Togari Beedi in K.R. Mohalla here, where the Goddess idol is uniquely decorated each Fridays during Ashada.

Temple Priest Venkatesh Bhat, the brain behind the unique alankaras, speaking to Star of Mysore, said: “It is a ritual carried out since past 30 years to decorate the Goddess idol innovatively on every Ashada Fridays. The ‘alankara’ will be removed after three days, on the night of Sunday.”

Stating that on first Ashada Friday (July 1) this year, the idol was decorated with the concept ‘Kashmira Puravasini’ by creating Himalayas-like art around the main idol, the Priest said that on July 8, the idol was decorated with the concept ‘Kalascha Narayanaha’ — a statement from Upanishad. It will be removed tonight (July 10), he added.

Explaining further that the clock concept was to highlight the importance of valuing time, he said: “Clock alankara consists of over 3,000 all-new watches including wall clocks, wrist watches and toy watches. The wall clocks used in the alankara is set with times of 10 different countries apart from India — Canada, England, America, Dubai, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Japan, South Africa and Australia.

When asked about the next week ‘alankara,’ the creative Priest, who boasts of not repeating any alankara since 30 years after the temple was renovated, said it will be a suspense and visitors will only know when they come for Goddess darshan.