HUBBALLI: The historic chariot of Gokarna mutt is "requesting" authorities not to turn the car street into a concrete road. Posters that have the request lines along with the photo of the chariot have come up in Gokarna.
The authorities have decided to make the car street into a concrete road which has now divided the people in Gokarna. While few say the concrete road is good for car streets, several people are opposing it stating that the concrete road will not suit the large chariot.
The Gokarna mutt has two chariots and the large chariot has been built in such a way that the design of the concrete road does not suit its movement. As the concrete road has slopes on the edges, the chariot will have difficulties moving. Unlike other chariots in the temples and mutts of Karnataka, the Gokarna chariot has two hidden wheels to balance the structure.
"The two wheels in the centre are designed to ensure the safety of the chariot and the people. If the chariot slants during the movement, it will not fall down but sits on the two wheels that are in the centre. But on the concrete road, the two wheels in the centre have to bore the entire pressure. We have tried to explain this to the temple authorities but there has been no response," said an activist from Gokarna.
The residents of Gokarna have been demanding a proper drainage system in the temple town. "For the last few years, the number of hotels and eateries have increased in Gokarna to facilitate the tourist influx. This has resulted in the contamination of several wells located along the car street. There are a number of priest families on car streets who have raised this issue with the government. Instead of making a concrete road, the authorities should finish the drainage system in Gokarna first," the activist added.
Amruth Joshi, writer and tourism expert from Hubballi said that the sanctity of car streets in Gokarna must be maintained. "Concrete roads are good but one cannot take them everywhere. There are other ways to develop the temple town keeping its history and tradition in mind," he said.