Temple EOs to be trained in heritage conservation

As EOs are directly involved in conservation activities in temples, imparting them with necessary knowledge is seen imperative and Rs 70 lakh has been sanctioned for the project, according to a policy note from the archaeology department. 

A total of 40 engineers and temple sthapathis were already trained in a similar course last year and about 44 HR&CE engineers also underwent the training earlier.

The department, which has deciphered 14,000 temple inscriptions of which 6,827 have been published in 27 volumes, is currently undertaking epigraphy work in Sivaganga district. State School Education Minister P Benjamin said that 24,350 inscriptions have been so far copied. 

Meanwhile, the New Delhi-based National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) has recognised the state government’s Oriental Manuscripts Library in Chennai as a Manuscripts Resource Centre for listing manuscripts which are to be digitised, he said. While 2,400 manuscript bundles consisting of 3 lakh pages were digitised and put on the TN archaeology website, another 45,000 manuscripts preserving details of Tamil culture and astronomy have been documented electronically and forwarded to NMM. 

In a bid to attract more tourists, the government spent Rs 20 lakh to provide high end LED TVs, inverters, media support and infrastructure to five site museums including Tirumalai Nayak Mahal (Madurai), Rajarajan site museum (Thanjavur), Ramalinga Vilasam site museum (Ramanathapuram), Danish fort (Tarangambadi) and the Archaeological exhibition hall in Chennai.