KOLLAM: Pilgrims visiting the historic Kottarakara Mahaganapathy Temple will soon have access to modern amenities and accommodation facilities, with the state government according administrative sanction for a new pilgrim centre. The facility will come up on a 93-cent plot owned by the Travancore Devaswom Board at Chanthamukku, significantly boosting infrastructure for devotees.
The planned facility will be a modern four-storey structure designed to accommodate the heavy influx of devotees who visit the temple daily, particularly during the Sabarimala season and major festivals like Vinayaka Chaturthi. The project includes a dedicated facilitation centre, comfortable guest rooms for pilgrims, a restaurant, a wedding hall, and a dining area. The ground floor is slated to provide much-needed parking space for visitors.
The work for project announced in the previous budget is expected to start with a Rs 10.7 crore outlay.
The pilgrim centre forms part of a larger development plan for the temple town. Finance Minister K N Balagopal had earlier announced a Rs 30 crore master plan for Kottarakara Mahaganapathy Temple, with Rs 5 crore earmarked for a pilgrim house and amenity centre, while the Travancore Devaswom Board committed Rs 25 crore for additional infrastructure work.
The new centre is expected to ease congestion during peak festival seasons, particularly the Meda Thiruvathira Ulsavam, and provide improved lodging, sanitation, and water facilities for devotees.
While the initial proposal for the “Construction of new building for Pilgrim Centre, Kottarakara-Kollam” was estimated at Rs 12 crore, the government opted for a more cost-effective approach after observing that the initial electrical and construction estimates were higher than prevailing rates. By capping the electrical work at 10% of the civil costs and streamlining other expenses, the final sanctioned amount has been fixed at Rs 10.70 crore.