A group of students from the Princeton University in New Jersey, U.S., and the Thiagarajar College of Engineering (TCE) here have taken up a joint effort to clean statues at the Thousand Pillar Hall Museum at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.
This is a joint initiative of the College and Chella Meenakshi Centre for Educational Research and Services intended to provide the students an exposure.
A total of 36 third year students of Bachelor of Architecture from the TCE, and 15 third and fourth year students of Arts, History and Architecture from the Princeton University are taking part.
The centre is working for the advancement of socio-cultural study and research and provides a wide variety of services intended to facilitate the work of international research scholars as well as undergraduate and graduate students.
According to V.A. Vidya, Academic Director of the centre, this service would be part of their contribution to the city, about which they would be learning a lot. Cleaning the statues was a very delicate and sensitive work and the foreign students have taken very well to it.
These students would also visit Thanjavur and Kumbakonam to study the historically-significant art and architecture works in these places, added Dr. Vidya.
G. Balaji, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, TCE, said that the engineering students were also preparing designs for the various counters at the temple in such a way that they would blend with the temple complex rather than stick out jarringly.
Once completed, the models would be created and handed over to the temple authorities for their consideration.
The students are also preparing information brochures containing material on the temple topography and various important structures in it. This could be distributed among the visiting public after vetting by the temple authorities, he added.
R. Padmanaban, Executive Officer of the temple, said that these initiatives would help create awareness about the temple's rich culture and heritage among students.
