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Tough task ahead for panel on temple renovations
India is a land of many wonders and living heritages. Temples are the best example of living heritage in our country. They reflect the history of the place and sometimes that of entire kingdoms. They are the repository of ancient arts and crafts. But most of the sculptures in such temples and tourist places get damaged by vandalism and mindless renovations.
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Madurai
Renovating such heritage-rich temples without disturbing its original beauty and heritage value is not an easy task. The general complaint associated with the renovation works carried out by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department is the destruction of paintings and old structures being masked by new ones. Following the High Court order directing the formation of an expert panel to oversee the renovation job in temples, experts feel that the multi-member panel must look into the historical value of the each and every temple. They want the panel to assess the temples fully well before taking any steps to preserve them. Speaking to DTNext, Sivakumar, an expert in temples in Madurai, said that a treasure trove of history and culture is associated with Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Many kings in various phases had renovated the temple and added new features. One important feature of the temple was the mural paintings found on the walls and ceilings of the temple, especially the Kalyana Mandapam. They were highly artistic and the old photos show that the marriages between the Gods were depicted with such graceful beauty and glowing colours. But during the last Kumbhabishegam the paintings were damaged by the HR & CE by mindlessly white washing them. As a result, beautiful paintings in the temple were lost, he said. “It is high time the HR & CE officials listen to the suggestions of eminent people involved in heritage preservation,” said Kavitha, a professor of history. “The Tiruparankundram temple dedicated to Lord Muruga too lost many ancient inscriptions to the construction activities carried in the name of renovation,” said a devotee. The newly formed committee must look into every little piece of heritage available in such temples, people said. “If possible, some of the lost heritage should be regained,” suggested Sivakumar.
MEENAKSHI SUNDARESWARAR TEMPLE
- The major attraction of Madurai city
- The whole city is built around the temple earning the name of ‘Temple town’
- Originally constructed by the Pandya kings
- Present structure built in 17th century by the Nayak kings
- Houses various mandapams and archways of sculptural excellence
- The Golden Lotus pond in the temple has many references in the Sangam literature
Lost link
- No water flow into Golden Lotus Tank
- Built in such a way to be replenished by Vaigai river automatically
- The link from Vaigai to the pond cut off due to renovations carried out by HR & CE department
- Temple management filling the pond artificially which is a difficult task
- Devotees want the link to the river and pond re-established to regain its original glory
NELLAIAPPAR KANTHIMATHI AMMAN TEMPLE
- One of the important temples in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu
- Constructed by Pandya kings
- Renovated by Nayakar kings
- Finds mention in literary works from the 7th century
Trade woes
- Presence of commercial structures around the temple
- Important idols of artistic excellence not visible among the shops
- Encroachments galore to the irritation of devotees
TIRUCHENDUR MURUGAN TEMPLE
- One of the six abodes of Lord Muruga in state
- Located on the sea shore
- Sangam literature had mentioned about the temple
- Continuously renovated by kings till last century
Erosion blues
- Salt deposits found in many areas on the temple structures
- Closeness to sea throws up erosion issues
- Some of valuable inscriptions on the temple lost due to previous renovation works
- Spots of historical value around the temple get eroded
RAMANATHA SWAMY TEMPLE
- Present temple built by Pandyas in the 12th century
- Mentioned in the epic Ramayana itself
- One of the important spiritual centre for Hindus
- People who visit Varanasi would visit Ramanatha Swamy temple too
- Like in Kasi people take holy bath at the temple
Trouble spot
- Agni Theertham, the holy spring in which people take ritual bath lacks maintenance
- Sewage and dust makes the theertam a nightmare for devotees
- Newly constructed steps masked some of the old sculptures there
Call to save Pudhu Mandapam in Madurai
A rich repository of graceful sculptures lay hidden among myriad shops just opposite the Eastern tower of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai. Devotees and conservationists have been long stressing the temple officials to free the Pudhu Mandapam from encroachments and open it for public and tourist to enjoy the glory of the masterpiece constructed by King Tirumalai Nayak. A devotee, Vishwanath, claimed that he had earlier seen the old photos of Pudhu Mandapam. “The hall housed one of the largest collection of sculptures. Each sculpture has been a masterpiece and stand as testimony to the rich craftsmanship of the artisans of the yore. Public and tourist must be allowed to enjoy the beauty of the sculptures.”
High Court for a scientific approach to restoration work
In an effort to preserve the rich heritage in our temples, the Madras High Court recently took a suo moto case on renovation works. It directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department to form an expert team to oversee the restoration and renovation works in the temples.
The expert team would consist of leading structural engineers, archaeologists, conservationists, traditional sthapathy and two agama specialists, the court ruled. Representatives of HR & CE department could be appointed as the secretary of the expert team, the HC added. The High Court also directed the HR & CE to halt the ongoing renovation works in various temples and carry out the same scientifically based on the recommendations of UNESCO. The court directed the officials to furnish all details of the renovation work to be carried out in various temples to the team. The UNESCO has laid down various guidelines to preserve and protect the ancient monuments and heritage sites all over the world. Most of our temples are considered as living heritages and they need to be protected properly without any distortion. The High Court directed the officials to use the expertise of UNESCO in the renovation works.
Petitions from individual temples should be submitted to the expert team and based on priority, the team would decide what work needs to be carried out in which temple. However, the High Court permitted the temples to carry out emergency and essential repair works on the premises without damaging the heritage and traditional nature of the temples.
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