Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Feb 7: The Kotilingeshwara temple in Koteshwar near here is one of the most sacred religious centres of coastal Karnataka. The temple will be performing its Brahmakalashotsava here after a really long gap of 67 years and the preparations for the same are in their finishing stages.
The renovation works in the temple have been completed at a cost of more than Rs 3 crore. The minor works are being attended to at the last minute. The renovation committee headed by Koni Krishnadeva Karanth has already renovated the sanctum sanctorum and the roof of the temple besides providing it with a covering of copper sheets. The kitchen of the temple has been renovated with modern equipment. Pipes and steel drains have been fitted. The main temple and shrines of all the family deities have been given a facelift with new paints and new boards. Cleanliness has been given utmost importance.
The flag post measuring 73 feet has been installed with the help of cranes. It has been fitted with copper sheet rings. Sculptor Rajagopal Acharya and team have worked continuously on this. A 10 kg Nandi statue made from cast copper is ready and will be installed atop the flag staff. The flag post will be installed as per procedures on February 10. Before that, a stone pedestal and idol of Ashta Laxmi made of alloy will be installed.
Some of the Bali idols located at the inner precincts of the temple were found to have certain defects. They have been replaced with new stone idols and the Tantri has performed a puja to them The woman volunteers have been cleaning the pitchers being used for the Brahmakalashabhisheka.
Special cultural programmes will be presented at Car Street . The Brhamaalashotsava began at 5 AM on Monday February 7. The new flag staff will be procedurally installed at 7.40 AM on February 10. The final puja procedures will be performed on February 10. On February16, a car festival and community feast will be organised. The Brahmakalashotsava rituals will be completed during the early hours of February 17 with Choornotsava.
Temple managing committee president, M Prabhakar Shetty, renovation committee president, Koni Krishnadev Karanth, Brahmakalashotsava Samithi president Gopady Srinivas Rao and members have been striving hard for the grand success of the festivities.