HASSAN: About 13 figurines depicting the Srinivasa Kalyana theme were damaged by miscreants at Malekal Tirupati in Arasikere taluk on Monday. The display is being created at the stepped well belonging to the Venkateshwara Swamy temple in the village.
The display is being put up at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore and work has been going on for the last one year. It is said that some youths were swimming in the stepped well, smoked and even urinated there. When the workers questioned them, a verbal clash ensued. It is suspected that the youths may have damaged the figurines.
“There are two gates to the kalyani, but we keep only one gate open for our workers to move around. About 2-3 youths urinated at the entrance of a cave. Some of our workers, who are from North India, questioned them and an argument ensued. The youths were speaking in Hindi. They swam in the kalyani to the other end and started smoking. They then damaged the figurines and escaped. Some women later noticed the damaged and informed us”, said Rajesh, who is supervising the work.
Home Guards are usually deployed here but on Monday, there was nobody. There are also no CTV cameras around the kalyani, he noted.
Rajesh said a total 250 figurines are being built to portray the Srinivasa Kalyana theme. The renovation and beautification project has been taken up by Sridhar Murthy of Arasikere, whose father built the kalyani, he added.
“People who believe in demolishing idols have done this. We appeal to the police and the government for a fair probe and punishment for the accused. They have been swimming and dirtying the place for a long time. They seem to have some support”, said Arun Kumar, president of the temple managing committee.
The Arasikere tahsildhar and the police visited the spot.