Work on plastering the cracks found on the pillars at the base of the ‘rajagopuram' of Sri Renganathaswamy temple in Srirangam has been taken up for protecting the structural stability of the 236-foot-tall massive structure.
According to temple sources, the initiative was taken on the advice of a team of experts who inspected the ‘rajagopuram' recently. Accordingly, the cracks were being plastered using only conventional ingredients.
In the initial phase, the cracks were plastered using cement. But now the chemical-free are being utilised, say the sources.
The ‘rajagopuram' was built between 1979 and 1987 on a stone base which is more than three centuries old. The cracks were first observed during the final stage of construction in 1984.
The Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, in its report to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, has said that there was nothing alarming about the stability of the structure.
Official sources told The Hindu here on Saturday that the work on plastering the cracks would be completed in a month's time.
