Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari temple leads in Swachhta Abhiyan

Shwetha S

Kateel, April 13, 2021: While it is one of the leading temples in the state in revenue generation, it has grabbed the attention by displaying how best a place of worship can involve itself in ‘Swachhta,’ or cleanliness.

It is a general notion that cleanliness cannot be maintained at places where a large number of people visit. The proverb ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness,’ is followed literally at Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple.

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Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, an island temple, about 20 km from Mangaluru is fourth in revenue generation among the endowment temples in the state. The annual income is about ₹ 24 crore.

Hundreds of devotees, both from Coastal Karnataka and other parts of the state and country, come here and seek blessings from Kateelamma every day. The number swells during weekends, Fridays, and auspicious days.

Despite so many people visiting the temple every day, the temple administration has ensured Swachhta in addition to food and shelter (lodging facility.)

While sweeping and moping is almost common in the temples, the Kateel administration has gone one step ahead. The inner premises, as well as the outer premises of the temple, is cleaned through the jet machine (using water) every night. Even the main road outside the temple is cleaned using Road sweeping machine.

The temple which is aiming to achieve Zero Waste Management has now commissioned a Hermi Compost unit in association with Sri Rama Krishna Matha- Mangaluru.

The Hermi Compost unit helps the temple in Wet Waste Management. It can handle about 600 kg of wet waste per day.

“All the wet waste, especially those from the temple kitchen will be managed in this unit. It will produce compost and the manure will be ready in about two months,” temple hereditary Archak Sriharinarayanadasa Asranna told The Canara Post.

The temple plans to sell the manure.

Kateel temple:

• Over 25 lakh devotees offer prayers at Kateel every year and about 20 lakh have food here.
• Devotees offer tender coconut for Abhishekam. About 5 lakh tender coconut is offered every year.
• Gardens are developed and greenery is given importance in the temple as well as the school premises.