The Shreemad Bhagawat Mahayagya religious program organized to collect funds for the renovation of the roof of the Gokarneshwar Mahadev temple has collected Rs 30 million.
The religious program was organized March 7 to 17. Some copper and brass wares have also been collected in the Mahayagya.
Speaking at the concluding function of the Mahayagya on Saturday, lawmaker representing Kathmandu constituency-3, Krishna Rai, Kathmandu constituency 3 (Kha) province assembly member Rameshwar Puyal, mayor of Gokarneshwar Municipality Santosh Chalise, deputy mayor Shanti Nepal, and president of the Mahayagya organizing committee Kamal Bahadur Bista and general secretary Deepak Risal expressed happiness over the collection of fund for renovating the temple roof.
They also expressed their commitment to work for collecting additional fund for this purpose as this amount would not be sufficient for the renovation.
The Gokarneshwar Mahadev temple is believed to have been constructed during the reign of the Lichhavi king Manadev in the early medieval period of Nepal's history.
Temple priest Jagadish Bhatta said the roof of this ancient temple is made of old clay tiles and it leaks whenever it rains.
The Gokarneshwar Municipality and the locals had joined hands and constituted the Shreemad Bhagawat Mahayagya organizing main committee for the temple renovation.
The tiles of the 7,400 square feet roof of the temple would be replaced by copper which would be gold-plated. The estimated cost for this is Rs 157.1 million, according to the organising main committee.
