VG Siddhartha wanted to develop state’s historic temples, boost tourism

HASSAN: Business tycoon V.G. Siddhartha had an unfulfilled dream of developing the historic temples of Chennakeshava and Hoysaleshwara at Belur and Halebeedu belonging to the Hoysala era in Hassan district into a major tourist hub but his plans did not materialize.

Siddhartha who hailed from Chettanahalli, a border village in Belur had a coffee plantation called Chetanahalli Coffee Estate which is spread across Belur in Hassan and Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru taluk. He was keen on developing road connectivity to both Belur and Halebeedu which have temples with intricate designs. He also wished to improve the facilities to draw tourists to both places which are located 16 km apart.

“A team sent by Siddhartha visited Belur and Halebeedu probably to study what could be done to increase tourist inflow but nothing happened after that,” says a source in Belur. It is said that he wanted to develop Belur and Halebeedu under a Corporate Social Respon—sibility (CSR) model and was ready to pump in crores of rupees to develop tourism by holding discussions with officials of the department of tourism but his plans drew opposition from a section of residents in Belur.

These people felt Siddhartha would put up signboards mentioning Coffee Day which would benefit his business more than Belur and Halebeedu and so his plans never took off, sources added.