Lord Ayyappa idol.
Credit: Special Arrangement
After the idols of Lord Ayyappa and Subramanya Swami installed on the campus of University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad (UAS-Dharwad) by unidentified persons, the Ayyappa Swami Seva Samiti submitted a memorandum to the UAS Vice-Chancellor P L Patil demanding 10-gunta land for the construction of a temple.
A few days ago, some people installed the idols of Ayyappa Swami and Subramanya Swami in the mango orchard belonging to the UAS. Later, Ayyappa Swami devotees erected a shed to worship the idols. Following such developments, the Sriram Sena organisation demanded land for the temple construction.
Sriram Sena state president Gangadhar Kulkarni said along with providing land for the temple, a road should be laid on the western side of the site for the movement of devotees and the public. Cooperation and protection should be ensured for the devotees to carry out regular poojas, he said.
Meanwhile, the sale of bananas, coconuts, and flowers for worship of the idols has started on a pushcart on the pedestrian path next to the compound of the UAS.
Reacting on the issue, UAS Vice-Chancellor P L Patil said there is no permission to allocate land for the construction of the temple inside the university land. “I have instructed the university officials concerned to respond to the memorandum. I will discuss the issue with legal experts. Moreover, I have brought the issue to the attention of the agriculture minister," he said.