Vijay Mallya, ’King of good times’ offers a gold-plated door and vows to offer another

TOI

Mangalore, 23 Aug 2012: The King of good times, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, on Thursday offered gold plated door to ’Nadu Mantapa’ outside the sanctum sanctorum of the Kukke Subrahmanya temple, as he had promised the Lord in April this year.

 

The door, about six ft in height with an equal width, has a 2.4 kilogram gold cladding which cost Rs 80 lakh, including the fine work. Later speaking to the media, Mallya said,"I have been a devotee of the deities of this coastal district. I have been visiting Kollur Mookambika temple, Tirumala Venkatarama Temple at Bantwal (the home town of his grand father Bantwal Ganapathi Mallya) and Kukke Subrahmanya.In business, it is but natural to have ups and downs. I will be successful again with God’s grace. "

 

Mallya made another vow on this occasion of offering another gold-plated door for the ’nadu mantapa’ of the sanctum sanctorum, if his wishes were fulfilled.

 

The sanctum sanctorum has four doors. Mallya has already offered a gold-plated door to one of them on an earlier occasion, making Thursday’s offer the second from his side. One of the door’s has a silver cladding. Mallya arrived at the temple at 5.30 pm and left at 7.30 pm. The fine art work on the gold cladding was done by Sudhakar Dongre and team from Mala village of Karkala Taluk in about two and a half months Mallya was accompanied by Pinki Lalwani, Nafeesa and Major Rajesh Mitra. He was welcomed ceremoniously by the temple authorities with ’mangalavadya’ and the temple elephant.

 

After viewing the exquisite work, he offered the door to the temple. The temple;s chief priest VMB Keshava Jogithaya conducted the religious ceremonies required on the occasion. The gold plating has exquisitely carved Nagabharana, (snake) hood, vines, ’gajapadi’. The temple authorities also felicitated Mallya with a memento.