'King of Good Times' Offers a Gold-plated Door to  Lord Subrahmanya

Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje

Subramanya, Aug 24 : His Kingfisher Airlines may be cash-strapped and running under immense loss, but that did not stop flamboyant businessman Vijay Mallya from donating gold-plated doors worth Rs 80 lakh to Lord Subrahmanya in Kukke, Udupi district.

Mallya made the offering on Thursday by following the tradition and rituals at the Subrahmanya temple nestled in the Western Ghats. One of the most popular pilgrimage centres in Karnataka, Kukke Subrahmanya is frequented by the high and mighty.

The business tycoon is going through a rough phase of his life with his flagship carrier Kingfisher Airlines on the verge of closure. Because of several setbacks to his business, Mallya had visited the Subrahmanya temple in April. He had vowed to donate the gold-plated doors.

Apparently, the doors contain 2.5 kg of gold valued at around Rs 80 lakh. Well-known sculptor Sudhakar Dongre and his team worked on the gold plated doors for nearly two months in Karkala.

"Mallya had prayed for prosperity and had sought divine intervention to overcome the challenges in his business. He had also taken a vow to donate the gold plated doors and accordingly fulfilled them," temple authorities pointed out.

The doors were brought from Karkala two days before the ritual ceremonies. All preliminary work was completed and preparations were made for installing the gold plated doors.

"Mallya adhered to all rituals and norms in a strict manner. We hope that his troubles will end in the coming days," the sources added.

Incidentally, the temple authorities did not allow the visitors and pilgrims to witness the event, as it is considered sacred.

It is common for VIPs, sports personalities and celebrities from across the country to visit Lord Subrahmanya, which is popular for 'Sarpa Dosha Nivarane' in order to fetch good luck.

Even cricketer Sachin Tendulkar had visited this temple town in 2006 for that purpose. In March this year, BJP MP Varun Gandhi's secret visit had created furore among the devotees, as he reportedly wanted the temple authorities to bar the entry of the visitors.

The temple also made news last year because of the age old practice of 'Made Snana' (Dalits rolling over food leftovers of Brahmins inside the temple).

Earlier update :

Vijay Mallya to Offer Gold-plated Doors at Subramanya

Subramanya, Aug 23 (DHNS) : United Breweries Group chief Vijay Mallya will offer a pair of gold-plated doors to the deity at the Subramanya temple here at 4 pm on Thursday.

During his visit to the temple in April this year, Mallya had taken a vow to present the doors to the deity, and the Rs-80 lakh gift made from 2.5 kg gold has now become a reality.

A group of artisans from Mala in Karkala taluk in the district, under the guidance of Sudhakar Dongre, had worked on the architectural wonder for two months. The gold-plated doors will adorn the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.