Film crew shooting at Himavad Gopalaswamy temple, which lies within Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Gundlupet: Locals and environmentalists strongly opposed the Forest Department's move to allow film shooting on the premises of Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta temple in Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district, on Tuesday. The temple is located within Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Himavad Gopalaswamy Hill comes under the eco-sensitive zone of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
"Giving permission for film shooting is condemnable. How did the Forest Department allow filming here?," asked farmer leader and Raitha Sangha district secretary Maadhu.
Visitors park their vehicles at the foothill and reach the temple on KSRTC buses. This system has been in place for several years.
However, the vehicles of the film crew were allowed to go near the temple. Shooting was done using mobile units and large cameras. Many scenes were shot at the temple steps, he alleged.
Clarification
However, ACF Naveen Kumar clarified that the film crew had taken a one-day permission for shooting on the temple premises. "There is no provision to shoot for the film inside the forest," he said.