TV9 - Vijay Mallya Gifted Gold Door For The Lord Subrahmanya : "Kapadu Subrahmanya" - 1...! A gold door for the Lord but no money for staff: Donation to tide over difficult times. His Kingfisher Airlines may be cashstrapped and creaking under financial burden, but that did not stop Vijay Mallya from donating a gold-plated door worth Rs80 lakh to Lord Subrahmanya in a Karnataka temple.The flamboyant tycoon made the offering on Thursday by following all rituals at the Subrahmanya temple nestled in the Western Ghats. One of the most popular pilgrimage centres in Karnataka, Kukke Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada district is frequented by the high and mighty in the state.Mallya is going through a rough phase with his flagship carrier Kingfisher Airlines on the verge of closure. Because of several setbacks to his business, he had visited the temple in April. He had then vowed to donate the glittering door.The door apparently contains 2.5 kg of gold. Well-known sculptor Sudhakar Dongre and his team worked on the doors for nearly two months in Karkala (Dakshina Kannada district).'Mallya had prayed for prosperity and sought divine intervention to overcome the challenges in his business. He had also taken a vow to donate the gold plated door and accordingly fulfilled the vow,' temple authorities said.The door was brought from Karkala two days before the rituals . All preliminary work was completed and preparations were made for installing them. 'Mallya adhered to all rituals and norms in a strict manner. We hope his troubles will end in the coming days,' a temple staff said. Incidentally, the temple authorities did not allow visitors and pilgrims to witness the sacred event.It is common for VIPs, sports personalities and celebrities from across the country to visit Lord Subrahmanya, which is popular for 'sarpa dosha nivarane' for good luck.Even the master blaster, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, had visited this temple town in 2006. In March this year, BJP MP Varun Gandhi's secret visit had created furore among the devotees as he reportedly wanted the temple authorities to bar the entry of all the visitors during that time. The temple also made news last year because of the age old practice of 'made snana' or Dalits rolling over leftover food of Brahmins inside the temple.

• published: 25 Aug 2012
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