Mangalore: Unscientific Digging - Outer Precincts of Temple in City Caves In
Pics: Sphoorty Ullal]
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, May 5: After the soil under the outer precincts of Lord Mahalingeshwara Temple in Pandeshwar in the city caved in on the night of Monday May 4, a precarious situation was created in view of the fact that the annual festival of the temple is in progress. The cause for the incident is said to be the unscientific digging being undertaken by the builders of the neighbouring residential complex lining the temple compound.

On Monday night, the ‘Devara Bali’ ritual was slated to be held as part of the annual festival. As soon as the ritual was completed, the mud under the compound wall collapsed. If the incident had occurred a little earlier, when a huge crowd had gathered at the temple, lives would have been lost and many would have sustained injuries, say eyewitnesses. Some chairs and utensils placed near the compound wall got buried under the debris, and a water tank erected under the surface averted further collapse, they explained.

Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner visited the spot and asked the contractor of the residential complex to stop the work immediately and to build a protective wall by the side of the temple. The fact that earth was excavated up to a depth of nearly 40 feet on a steep angle by the side of the temple compound wall, was the cause for the incident, the deputy commissioner told the reporters.

City mayor Rajani Dugganna, deputy mayor, Rajendra Kumar, city corporation commissioner, Vijayaprakash and Mangalore Urban Development Authority commissioner, Ramesh, visited the spot and inspected the damage.