Rs 6 crore allotted for works in Jwalamukhi temple

Ashok Raina

Kangra, January 15

The Jawalamukhi Temple Trust will spend Rs 50 lakh to reconstruct the ancient Bhairav temple, which was damaged in a natural calamity, and start work on an overbridge footpath to connect the Jawalamukhi bus stand with the temple entrance road on the Shimla-Matour National Highway.

Jawalamukhi SDM Rakesh Sharma, who also holds the post of Assistant Commissioner (Temples), today said Rs 18 crore annual budget was approved by the trust in its recent meeting which was chaired by local MLA Ramesh Dhawala. He said Rs 6 crore from the budget would be spent on different development works in the temple.

Sharma said famous Taida Mandir, a major tourist attraction, would be beautified at Rs 35 lakh. To overcome the water shortage at Taida temple, Rs 25 lakh would be spent on a water tank and two tubewells would be dug.

He added that Rs 1 crore would be spent on the construction of a sarai bhawan to provide better accommodation facilities to pilgrims at Jawalamukhi temple. He said on the pattern of Bajjreshwari temple at Kangra, the trust had decided to have a historical museum, a project of Rs 20 lakh, within the temple premises. This museum will provide the historical background of Jawalamukhi temple and its surrounding temples too, Sharma said.

He said Rs 10 lakh would be spent on the musical fountains to make these functional and an equal amount on the reconstruction of the historical canal made by Emperor Akbar. Sharma said the solar energy system at the cost of Rs 25 lakh would be installed to run the kitchen of the temple, besides providing lighting facility to the entire temple premises.