The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department has decided to apply environment-friendly painting on all towers (gopurams) and the rajagopuram of the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.
This is the first time that the emulsion paint is being used. Although a bit expensive, it is not only more durable but can withstand bad weather conditions also particularly heat during summer.
Explaining the advantages of this water-based emulsion paint over the conventional material, sources said that upper layers of the painted surface got peeled off in course of time due to heat and rain under the old method.
The temple accounts for 26 ‘gopurams’ apart from the massive structure of ‘rajagopuram’ and 33 vimanams. “The old paint had been cleared at a majority of the ‘gopurams.’ A primer material has been applied as a binding material on all towers,” the sources said. Contrary to conventional paints, the emulsion material would not be so glittering but it would withstand the heat and showers for about a decade, perhaps till the next ‘samprokshnam.’
The HR and CE Department has fixed December 31 as the deadline for completing the painting process. Periodical meeting with ‘sthapathis’ is being held to review the progress of the painting programme.
All shrines and pillars would be given a water wash to clear dust and oil deposits. The exercise would give a glittering look to the temple structure. A water wash, given at the Garuda Mandapam recently, is found to be effective. Work on renovation of the temple began in June this year.
