Kishor Kumar Puttur, Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities Constituency MLC, has sought various facilities at Kollur, including a spacious parking facility, the restoration of battered stretches of the Virajpet-Byndoor State Highway 27, and the operation of KSRTC bus services from Udupi to Kollur via Kundapur.

The MLC wrote separate letters to the Kollur Sri Mookambika temple authorities, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Wednesday.

In a letter to the temple’s chief executive officer, Mr. Puttur said thousands of devotees visit the temple in Kollur every day and their numbers swelled during weekends and holidays. However, there was a lack of adequate parking facilities in the temple town, as a result of which devotees faced great hardship. Therefore, the temple management should identify suitable land to provide spacious and adequate parking facilities for devotees, with separate provisions for private cars, two-wheelers, and public transport vehicles, the MLC said. On special days, temporary parking facilities should be created, he said, urging the temple management to operate free shuttle bus services from the parking lots to the temple for the benefit of devotees. Also, the administration should provide an adequate number of CCTV cameras at the parking lots to ensure the safety of vehicles and devotees.

Highway repairs

Mr. Puttur also drew the attention of the department towards the state of Virajpet-Byndoor State Highway 27, which connects Kollur with the Kodagu, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts. The stretch of the highway between Chittoor and Kunjadi had become treacherous, severely inconveniencing road users, he told the Assistant Executive Engineer of the PWD’s Kundapur subdivision in another letter. He urged the department to fix the road on priority.

KSRTC services

In another letter to the KSRTC’s Mangaluru Divisional Controller, Mr. Puttur sought direct bus services between Udupi district headquarters and Kollur via Kundapur. He said devotees, students, and the general public had to change buses to reach Kollur or Udupi. Direct bus services at suitable timings would benefit travellers, he said.

Published - August 13, 2026 07:05 pm IST