Srirangapatna: The Gadde Ranganatha Swamy Temple, dating back to the 15th century and situated near the historic town of Srirangapatna along the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway, is currently  undergoing reconstruction.

The temple, positioned on the banks of the River Cauvery at Brahmapura, faced the risk of being obscured during the construction of the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway, but now, with the completion of the Expressway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), efforts to revitalise the heritage site are in full swing.

The heritage temple is being meticulously reconstructed, stone by stone and pillar by pillar, from its original location. This relocation is a result of the completion of the Expressway, and the temple is now positioned near the Cauvery River, 200 metres from its initial location and 100 metres from the road.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simmha visited the ongoing construction site last Saturday and shared images of the progress on social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). The Gadde Ranganatha Swamy Temple, constructed by Vijayanagar rulers around five centuries ago, boasts 12 large stone pillars.

The front pillars are round-shaped, while the remaining ones are square-shaped. The sanctum sanctorum houses the idol of the presiding deity, Gadde Ranganatha Swamy, positioned at a height of approximately 3½ feet.

Lakshmish Guruji, the priest of the Lakshmi Temple in Srirangapatna, explained to Star of Mysore that the idol of Gadde Ranganatha Swamy underwent careful removal, adhering to Vedic rituals, before the translocation. The idol is currently housed at the Lakshmi Temple and will undergo the traditional ‘Prana Pratishtapana’ (consecration) once the new Gadde Ranganatha Swamy Temple is reconstructed.

Despite not being listed among protected monuments, the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage submitted a report to the Mandya District Administration emphasising the temple’s significant historical value and the need for conservation. Consequently, the Mandya District Administration came forward to facilitate the relocation of the temple.

This initiative mirrors a similar effort in 2017 when the 18th-century Tipu Armoury, weighing 1,050 tonnes and located in Srirangapatna, was translocated to make way for the double-tracking work of the Mysuru-Bengaluru Railway line.