Governor Rameshwar Thakur participated in his first public meet after taking charge of administration of the State, at Kudroli Shree Gokarnatheshwara Temple on Sunday.

He inaugurated the Mangalore Dasara in the temple premises and addressing the gathering he said that infrastructure development is his prime priority.

“I held a meeting with the administrative body and the police here and have directed them to maintain law and order efficiently. They have been directed to give a status report of the infrastructure condition here and have also been asked to inform how much of works will be completed by March 2008,” he said.

Speaking about the beauty of Kudroli temple, he said that he had toured temples both within and outside India but Kudroli has a distinct place as it is unique in itself.

He said that the temple upholds the Gandhian way of life and principles as it is open to all people without any restrictions.

Earlier, Mr Thakur felicitated Prof Rajashekar, the man who has been making the Idol of Sharada Matha, an idol with breathtaking beauty for years.

Prof Rajashekar has been making the idols of the Nava Durgas kept juxtaposed to Sharada Matha during Navarathri.

The Mantap decorator Chandrashekar Suvarna (art director of several famous Kannada movies) and Temple committee office-bearer Raghavendra Kuloor were also felicitated.

MP B Janardhan Poojary addressing the gathering spoke about the administrative excellence of Mr Thakur and shed light on the history of Kudroli temple.