The annual car festival of the Chamarajeshwara Temple here is to take place this month end. But what has been casting a shadow over the festivities for the last few years, are the dilapidated wheels of the ‘ratha’ or the car, which are in need of urgent repair.
The Muzrai department has only been making temporary repairs to the wheels every year, in time for the car festival. While the PWD has been giving certificates on the ‘safety’ of the wheels every time, as is mandatory, this time it has put its foot down saying that it cannot do so unless the Muzrai  comes forward to take up the repairs.
The summit of the car’s ‘gopura’ rises to an height of about 45 feet from its ‘mantap.’ This being the case, faulty wheels could spell disaster, even resulting in the ‘ratha’ toppling over. The 171-year-old ‘ratha was first used for festivities in 1836, as usual on the Ashadha Poornima day. After, the wheels were replaced in 1970, no other repair work has been carried out on them.
While experts are of the opinion that a minimum amount of Rs 10 lakh is required for the wheel repairs, recently a party offered to do the job for Rs 1.1 lakh.
But the Muzrai is not in a position to spend even a single rupee on the project.
Temple staff question as to what happened to the funds totalling Rs 60 lakh. Muzrai officials say they were used for a park and a stone bench in front of the temple, besides for the renovation of another temple.
All the income from the temple (annually Rs 4.5 lakh), is used for the expenses. Also, the Muzrai gives Rs 3,100 a month for pooja purposes. But then, that is not enough to meet the daily temple expenses. For the car festival, Muzrai gives an amount ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000.  
Meanwhile, the staff salary hasn’t been revised since 1997. Recently, when they held a dharna for a pay hike, they were promised that the issue would be looked into. Muzrai can give, as per rules, only 35 per cent of income as salary. According to that, the staff are already getting more!
The glory of the temple is now a thing of the past. Apart for the many ‘utsavas,’ the Mysore Maharajas gave funds for the daily poojas also, in the temple. But now, the government funds are found wanting. The priests here say that somehow, the daily poojas in the temple are continuing unhindered, thanks only to offerings and donations by devotees.  
Of the 128 posts in temple, only 64 are filled.
Of that number, only 24 are on duty, including the priests. When the government has no money to pay them, the less said the better about the deity!