Ujire : Sri Manjunatha temple will gradually adapt to solar energy in its choultries and offices to be a model to others in harnessing renewable energy said D. Veerendra Heggade on Monday, July 1.

He was speaking after inaugurating solar energy deployment at the Annapoorna Chatra and Car Museum sponsored by the Selco Foundation at Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district. Mr. Heggade said the temple would send a team of senior employees to Shirdi Sai Temple in Maharashtra to study harnessing solar power shortly.

The Pattadhikari said the Dharmasthala Kshetra has already been encouraging the deployment of renewable energy through Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), a non-government organisation, across the State. He recalled the Project winning the Ashden Award, United Kingdom, in the areas of energy access, clean cooking and citizen engagement in 2012.

Mr. Heggade congratulated Selco Foundation for energising the Annapoorna Chatra thereby joining hands with the temple in feeding thousands of devotees with the Anna Prasada every day.

Selco Foundation CEO Mohan Bhaskar Hegde said solar energy deployment was expanding across the country and the world with the visionary leadership of Selco founder Harish Hande. He said the foundation works for the needs of people and not for profit. It began a partnership with Sri Kshetra in the year 2001 by providing 1,500 solar power units through SKDRDP that has now reached over 3 lakh beneficiaries.

Many banks, international companies, and others have made an agreement with the foundation for deploying solar energy that was empowering the life of the common man. Many people have become economically empowered with the use of solar energy for their self-employment. Over 2,500 people were being trained at SKDRDP’s Jnanavikasa Training Institute in Dharwad every year to start self-employment, he noted.

The foundation installed a 32 kW and a 5 kW solar unit respectively at the Chatra and the Car Museum respectively thereby providing energy for cooking and lighting.