Udupi temple golden tower to be ready in 2 yrs

MANGALURU: AS part of his second Paryaya, which is taking place after a gap of 16 years, Sri Vidyadeeshatheertha Swamiji, the seer of Palimaru Matha, plans to replicate the opulence of Dwaraka-- he wants the tower above the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Udups Sri Krishna Temple to be adorned with gold. He hopes the golden tower will be ready by the end of his two-year tenure.

Paryaya is a system in which the eight seers of Udupi undertake the responsibility of worshipping Lord Krishna and managing the temple by turn for a period of two years. The seer who is in charge of the worship and other rituals is known as ‘Paryaya swamiji’.  The existing sanctum tower is made of copper and its replacement requires 100 kg of gold worth Rs 32 crore. “With every square foot necessitating approximately 40 grams of gold, around 2,500 sqft would require 100 kg of gold,” said the pontiff here on Thursday while requesting the devotees to chip in.

Stating that the grand endeavour can be successful solely with the collaboration and contribution of crores of devotees, he said even half a gram of gold will be accepted. Names of the donors who contribute a minimum of 1 sq ft gold will be engraved over the golden roof panels, he said. The seer said that every donor will get a receipt.He said that demonetisation and GST made it difficult to mobilise funds for the golden tower. “God will take care of the project,” he said.

Elaborating on the need for a golden tower, the seer said that the edifice, tower and sanctum of the temple are akin to the Lord’s body and protecting them from any calamity is the duty of every devotee. “The lineage of those who erect these structures as prescribed by the shastras will  attain Vishnuloka. The tower made of wood is four times more superior than an earthen tower. While a brick tower is ten times more superior, a stone tower is a hundred times, a copper-silver tower thousand times and a gold tower is one lakh times more superior than the former,” he said.  

The seer’s plan to have a golden tower is the continuation of a tradition. His predecessor and ascetic Sri Vidyamaanya Sripadaru had offered a gold cradle, a gold chariot and a diamond crown to Sri  Krishna during the tenure of his two paryayas. His wish to present a diamond armour to the Lord was fulfilled during the paryaya of his disciple.

The paryaya will be held in January. Offering of one lakh tulasi leaves to Lord Krishna and non-stop chanting of Sriramanama for two years by Bhajana Mandalis will be the highlight of this paryaya.