CM Siddaramaiah asks Muzrai Department Principal Secretary to table a proposal

Bengaluru: The 2019 proposal to provide a Golden Chariot (Suvarna Ratha) for Sri Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill, Mysuru, has been revived. Originally proposed with a budget of Rs. 7 crore, the amount was  increased to Rs. 7.6 crore in 2020.

Now, in 2024, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the Principal Secretary of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department (Muzrai) to submit a proposal for the chariot. This move follows a memorandum by MLC Dinesh Gooligowda, who emphasised the long-standing demand from devotees for a Golden Chariot for the presiding deity.

“Goddess Chamundeshwari symbolises Kannada identity and is a spiritual representative of Kannadigas. The Temple holds immense historical and mythological significance and devotees wish to see Goddess taken out in procession in a Golden Chariot,” he said.

The MLC suggested that a separate hundi (offering box) be placed at Chamundi Hill Temple to collect offerings for the project, with any shortfall covered by the Government.

The current chariot, crafted from wood in 1982 by devotees from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, is reportedly weakening over time. Gooligowda stated that this has led devotees to demand a new chariot made of gold to preserve the sanctity and grandeur of the processions.