GURUGRAM: The Sheetla Mata Shrine board has prepared a plan to redevelop the temple in Sector 6 and make it higher than the Qutub Minar and the Taj Mahal, both of which are 73 metres high. The temple’s dome will be made as high as 74 metres and other facilities will also be added, according to sources.Officials within the district administration confirmed that the dome would be one metre higher than both the UNESCO world heritage sites. The new building plan has been approved by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the tender for the work has been floated.“We have approved the new building plan of the temple as proposed by the Sheetla Mata Shrine board,” said a senior MCG official, requesting anonymity. Board chief Vatsal Vashisht did not respond to queries from this correspondent.As soon as bids are received, the board will evaluate proposals and allot the tender, according to district administration officials. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 200 crore.The redevelopment of the temple has been in the pipeline for quite some time now. The project was finally announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in April 2018.According to officials, a study of famous temples such as Tirupati and Shirdi was conducted before planning the new design of the temple. The redeveloped temple will have a seating capacity of 1,000 people, and will include a lodging facility for pilgrims, a parking lot and a meditation centre.However, the Sheetla Mata Shrine falls within the 900-metre radius of the ammunition depot and a High Court decision on the fate of constrcutions within the area is still pending. The corporation has approved the new building plan despite this and sources within MCG said that they received permission from the deputy commissioner’s office before doing so.District administration officials said that they would be open to changes in plans after the High Court order in the matter.“All the parties involved in the case have agreed on principle that the restricted zone around the ammunition depot will be reduced from the 900 metre radius to a 300 metre radius. Given that the temple exists within the 900-metre radius, it should not be an issue,” said a source.Earlier, the redevelopment plan was tabled during an MCG House meeting and funds were sought from the corporation. However, the House turned down the proposal, saying that the shrine board had plenty of money and did not require MCG funds.

Stay updated with all the Latest Gurgaon headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.