Devotees at Sri Mahadeshwara temple in Beladakuppe of Saragur taluk.
Credit: DH File Photo
The Karnataka government’s decision to declare the Beladakuppe Mahadeshwara Swamy Temple inside Bandipur Tiger Reserve a tourist destination is deeply misguided. In its eagerness to fuse faith with footfall, the state risks destabilising one of India’s most fragile ecological zones. A temple symbolising harmony between nature and divinity is now being recast in a way that could imperil both. For centuries, the temple has stood in the heart of this dense forest, believed to be chosen by Mahadeshwara himself for its solitude. The tiger, his mythical vehicle, is not a metaphor to be marketed but a living creature whose survival depends on human restraint.
The timing of this announcement could not be more ironic. Days before it was made, a villager near the temple was mauled by a tiger, a reminder that wild landscapes demand caution, not crowding. Tigers and tourist convoys do not coexist. Promoting the temple as a tourist destination will not only heighten human-wildlife conflict but also undo years of painstaking conservation work. Bandipur’s core zone is not vacant land awaiting development; it is one of the most critical tiger habitats in the country. Its lakes, streams, and vegetation sustain a delicate balance of life. To open this sanctuary to constant vehicular noise, litter, and plastic waste is to deepen the stress animals already face. Importantly, any tourism or construction within a tiger reserve must occur only in the designated tourism zone, as mandated by the Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP) approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Beladakuppe lies outside this zone, and the Bandipur TCP makes no provision for tourism here. Declaring the temple a tourist spot is therefore not only ecologically disastrous but also illegal. The NTCA has repeatedly cautioned against human intrusion into the core area. Ignoring these directives is a wilful violation of both ecological science and law.
The annual temple fair already causes enough damage. Thousands pour in with vehicles and bullock carts, trampling vegetation, littering plastic, and disturbing wildlife. Institutionalising such activity under the guise of tourism would be an environmental catastrophe. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has been proactive with the conservation of Karnataka’s forests, and his efforts to protect tiger corridors and reclaim encroached lands have earned appreciation from environmentalists. That resolve must now prevail. Bandipur must not be sacrificed at the altar of populism. The true worship of Mahadeshwara lies in preserving the wilderness he embodies, not exploiting it for tourism.