Mysore: With the Mysore Dasara just a week away, over a 100 year-old tree came crashing down on the Kote Maramma temple adjacent to the Mysore palace wall, claiming two lives and injuring three others Tuesday afternoon. A fireman, Karthik Urs was hurt during the rescue operation when a sharp metal pierced his hand and temple priest, Sidaraju, who lost his wife in the tragedy, himself had a lucky escape as he left only a few minutes before the tree came crashing down. While the temple itself was badly damaged, the stone idol of the goddess remained intact and was carried away to safety by rescue workers.
Many saw the accident as a bad omen ahead of Dasara, but Maharani Pramoda Devi, who visited the site briefly, advised people not to attach any religious significance to it. Calling it an unfortunate accident, she said she was praying for the families of the dead. Going by palace secretary, M. Lakshminarayan, the Kote Maramma idol was initially inside the palace , but was relocated to the temple outside during the reign of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (1894–1940).
“Every year in February the first puja at the temple is offered by the royal family. Her Highness Pramoda Devi frequents the temple and is a devotee”, he said.
Luckily, there weren’t too many devotees at the time of the accident, w hich took place at around 2.30 pm. Mysore City Corporation (MCC) commissioner C.G. Betsurmath said the Muzarai department would carry out the temple’s restoration in consultation with the temple trust. Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha announced a Rs 1.5 lakh compensation for the families of the dead.
