Mangaluru: The Kukke Sri Subrahmanya Temple management has started to lay a 2.5 km pipeline from the point of origin of ‘Darpana Teertha,’ a major tributary of the river Kumara Dhara, to the temple, in order to ensure that ‘Teertha’bottles are made available for devotees.

The authorities of the temple had stopped distributing the ‘Teertha’ bottles to devotees from April 21 as the level of water of ‘Teertha bhavi’, a well from where water is used for ‘abhishekam’ and ‘Teertha’ started dipping. The devotees and other villagers informed the minister for religious endowment about the issue when he was on a visit to the temple.

Poovappa, Executive Officer of the temple said that, ‘Tambula Prashna,’ (a form of astrology) was directed to be held by the minister to find another source of water to get the Teertha’ after some devotees suggested that as the alternative.

“The Tambula Prashana was held on May 2. The astrologers through Prashna agreed that water drawn directly from the source of Darpana Teertha (where the water is pure and not polluted by human beings) to the temple through pipeline could be used to be distributed in Teertha bottles after some ritual,” he said.

He further added that over 50 villagers volunteered to help the authorities lay this 2.5 km pipeline from the hill to the temple.

“The water from this can be used only for teertha bottles and not for any other purpose. The pipeline laid would continue to exist so that it can be used in case of crisis in the future for similar purpose. We want to complete the work at the earliest and start distributing the teertha bottles soon,” he informed.