Mangaluru: A government lower primary school building that stood for over five decades within the premises of Mahatobhara Shri Mahalingeshwara Temple in Puttur was demolished this week as part of ongoing temple development works.Known locally as ‘Devala Vatara School’, the school had remained closed since 2017 due to lack of admissions. Education department sources said the school struggled to sustain itself, partly because it functioned within a temple premises, and did not receive adequate funding.
An official from the BEO office in Puttur said the school was originally constructed by temple authorities, on temple-owned land, with the objective of providing education to underprivileged children. However, while the education department had granted permission to run the school and appointed teachers, the land and building were never under its ownership.“In 2017, the present DDPI of Dakshina Kannada, GS Shashidhar, who was then serving as BEO in Puttur, decided to close the school as there were no admissions. Since then, it remained shut, and no revival efforts were made,” the official said. The school had offered classes from class 1 to 5.Following its closure, the structure was used for various temple-related activities. With the temple now undertaking major development works, the management chose to demolish the old building.Officials maintained that the closure had minimal impact on students, as two other schools, at Nellikatte and Haradi, are located within walking distance, ensuring continued access to primary education in the area.
