Udupi : The work to remove silt began at the picturesque Madhwa Sarovar on the premises of 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt here on Thursday.
Water from the pond was drained on Wednesday. The top layer of water from the pond was pumped into two wells on the temple premises so that it could be used for washing and other purposes.
The remaining water, which was dirty, was then pumped into drains so that the pond became completely empty. There is a small square shaped well inside this pond.
“The silt in the pond is one feet deep. The work to remove silt from the pond was done 16 years ago during the first Paryaya of Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Palimar Mutt. Since silt had accumulated in the pond, the Palimar seer desired to remove it and beautify it in his second Paryaya now,” said Shreesha Bhat Kadekar, Public Relations Officer of the mutt.
After the silt from the square shaped well was removed, water had started coming from the springs below it. It is customary for the seers to have a dip in the Madhwa Sarovar before they perform pujas at the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple.
The work to remove silt from the pond would be taken up in a full-fledged manner on Friday. “Two cranes and 40 workers would be pressed into service to remove silt. The work will begin in the morning and is expected to be completed by Friday evening,” Mr. Kadekar said.
On how the water will be filled in the pond, Mr. Kadekar said: “The pond should get filled by water from the springs in the well inside it or there should be rain.”
A mantapa in the midst of the Madhwa Sarovar adds to its beauty. This pond attains the zenith of its splendour during the Teppotsava or the boat festival, which is a part of the Laksha Deepotsava. During the Teppotsava, hundreds of lamps are lit around the pond.