Golden gopura works at Udupi temple to begin tomorrow

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov 27, 2018: The project work of gold sheet covering on the gopura (dome) of the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple will begin here on November 28, Wednesday.

Addressing media on Nov 26, Monday, Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Palimar Mutt, said the laying of the gold covering would take about four months. It was one of the projects of his second Paryaya (2018-20). The project required 100 kg of gold, 500 kg of silver,  more than  60 kg of which had been donated by the devotees. The cost of this project was Rs. 32 crore and devotees had already donated Rs. 11 crore.

The total area of the sanctum sanctorum was 2,500 sq. ft. The earlier plan was to lay the covering sheet on the existing copper sheet on the gopura. Now, it had been decided to first lay a silver sheet and then the gold sheet on it.

“To make the ‘Suvarna Gopura’ (gold gopura) more attractive, it had been decided to give it the shape of tiles, which is part of the culture of coastal Karnataka. This would also provide an opportunity to the craftsman to show their talent,” he said.   Artisans of Vishwakarma community will carryout the wooden work and the artisans from Daivajna community will do the work on gold and silver, the seer added. 

The ‘Sarvamoola’ religious texts written by the exponent of Dwaita philosophy, Sri Madhwacharya, would be written on the gold sheet using laser technology. As many as 21,600 Hamsa mantras too would be written on the gold sheet 21,600 times. The works on the Suvarna Gopura project would be done near the ‘Yaga Shale’ near the ‘Go Shale’ of Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple so that devotees could witness it. “We intend to dedicate this project to Lord Krishna on Ram Navami next year,” he said.

Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, Vidyasagara Tirtha Swami of Krishnapur Mutt, Vishwapriya Tirtha Swami of Admar Mutt, Ishapriya Tirtha, junior seer of Admar Mutt, Vidyashreesha Tirtha Swami of Sosale Vyasaraja Mutt, and Suvidyendra Tirtha will inaugurate this Suvarna Gopura project at 7.30 a.m. november 28,  Wednesday.