THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After inordinate delay, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has approached a pharmaceutical company owned by a Malayali to sponsor the renovation of an inn, Hanuman temple and dharamsala owned by the board in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
The move comes after the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, (IITBHU) quoted a 10% advance of the total design cost of `2 crore, which had received the TDB’s administrative nod over a year ago.
The inn and dharamsala are housed in a two-storey structure that is over 250 years old and spanning more than 4,000 sqft. The TDB also owns a Hanuman temple situated at Kedar Ghat on the banks of the Ganges.
The inn is situated on a narrow lane in Sonapura area between Chowka Ghat and Kedar Ghat. Since the road is not motorable, a private contractor from Kerala who had taken up the tender initially dropped out halfway, delaying the facelift.
Ownership of the inn and dharamsala was transferred to the TDB from the erstwhile Travancore royal family following the intervention of the Kerala High Court.
TDB chief engineer R Ajith Kumar told TNIE that since structural changes are required at the temple, the inn and dharamsala, they had to seek the nod of the Archaeological Survey of India. The time allowed by ASI for renovation is since over owing to the delay in taking up the work due to logistical hurdles.
“We realised that only a local contractor can take up the renovation as the debris has to be carried by hand for several kilometres. Also, TDB has to seek HC’s nod to pay the advance to IITBHU as the amount is `20 lakh. This prompted us to look for sponsors. We zeroed in on a pharmaceutical company owned by a Malayali based in North India,” said Ajith Kumar.TDB president P S Prasanth said he, along with top officials, will meet the pharma firm’s representatives in Varanasi later this month as, most likely, the latter will take up the work using its corporate social responsibility fund. Prasanth expressed confidence that the renovation will be completed this year, allowing pilgrims to avail accommodation in Varanasi at nominal rates.
“It’s true there has been a delay in taking up the work. We have appointed a temple advisory committee in Varanasi to expedite the restoration. We aim to complete the renovation of the inn, dharamsala and Hanuman temple before the Sabarimala season,” he said.
Pilgrims flay TDB
TDB has come under flak from Varanasi-bound Malayali pilgrims for failing to cash in on the tourism boom in Ayodhya following the consecration of the Ram temple. A Malayali settled in Varanasi said had the TDB expedited restoration work last year, it would have received Central funds as the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency is represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is eager to develop the pilgrim circuit.