To begin with, on the day of Mahalaya, the day of awakening of the Goddess Durga, the eyes of the deity–Maa Chandika–were replaced. The copper eye frame with silver eyeballs embedded in it were replaced with gold frame and diamond eyeballs worth Rs 10 lakh.

The event was organised by the Maa Chandika Asthan temple trust. Trust secretary Prabhu Dayal Sagar said a blueprint of the new temple has already been prepared at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore on the same campus.

District magistrate UK Singh said besides beautification and renovation of the temple, the district administration will spend Rs 2 crore for cleaning the marshy land on the northern side of the temple under MANREGA. He also launched a website–www.maachandika.org– dedicated to the Goddess. He said the devotees will get an opportunity to know the legends related to the temple and day to day activities.Chairperson of the trust, Sanjay Kumar, said the trust would aid and help in development of this temple and also bear all the expenses.