This story is from January 3, 2019

Ideal worship at Kalkaji temple as complex set for a makeover

Ideal worship at Kalkaji temple as complex set for a makeover
NEW DELHI: The enthusiastic shouts of “ Bolo sache darbar ki jai” and “Jai mata di” are one thing. The visibly derelict state of facilities for devotees is quite another. Though considered an important peeth dedicated to Goddess Kali, the Kalkaji Mandir in south Delhi is a site of civic neglect. But here’s good news for the thousands that dare its crowded and seedy structure every day.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation has a Rs 10.5-crore plan to give the shrine a much-needed revamp.
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The civic body will take up the problems related to the temple, including the heavily encroached area, dilapidated structures and the poorly utilised spaces. As for the source of the project funds, an SDMC official disclosed, “We are in an advanced stage of negotiations with a partner on the use of corporate social responsibility funds for the revamp, and an MoU will soon be signed.”
SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel said that the revamp will provide relief to lakhs of devotees coming to the shrine, one of the most visited spots under the civic body’s jurisdiction. The plan is to landscape the area, bring uniformity through beautification, create green resting spaces, relocate the plethora of shops in the complex and develop pathways to ease the movement of devotees. “The design changes will allow us to manage systematic and unobstructed darshan for devotees like at Vaishno Devi,” Goel added.
Located near Nehru Place, the oldest portions of the present temple structure are believed to have been constructed around 1764 by the Marathas, with additions in 1816
by Mirza Raja Kidar Nath, the peshkar of Akbar II. Most of the dharamshalas built on the complex by merchants and bankers in after mid-20th century are ramshackle now.
TOI’s visit to the shrine showed innumerable shops encroaching on the narrow 300-metre entry corridor, making the walk to the sanctum sanctorum especially difficult. The garbage heaps and rotting remains from eateries make any spiritual focus a challenge. Deepak Bhardwaj, head priest of Kalkaji Mandir, said the temple management would appreciate any improvements to ease the pains of the devotees.

Pooran Singh, a regular, said that on peak worship days, such as Navratri or Tuesdays, the overcrowding can create stampede-like conditions. Relocating the shops to free up the passages is, thus, the most important component of the project, said Yogesh Verma, consultant from Designwell, the firm that planned the revamp. “The mandir has shops on all sides and we have designed a circulatory movement,” said Verma.
Verma revealed that the four parking lots will be installed with facilities like toilets, drinking water and washing areas for outstation people. A central shoe collection centre is proposed to replace the current system of shopkeepers accepting payment to retain the footwear. Verma added, “There are no designed entry points to match the grandeur of this ancient temple, so all the gateways will be upgraded to give the place an identity of a gated worship complex.”
The SDMC official said that the consultant had also recommended developing a multi-level parking facility, but “with a limited budget of Rs 10 crore, we may be unable to take that up, at least in the current phase.”
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