Archaeology Department orders halt to work at temple

Someswara ‘gopurams’ constructed without permission will be removed, says official

Additional structures being raised on the sub-temples located on the premises of historical Chaya Someswara Swamy Temple, Panagal, in Nalgonda district.- Photo: Singam Venkataramanana

n what could be a clear violation of the Andhra Pradesh Ancient and Historical Monuments Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1960, an Endowments department-constituted committee is using brick and cement to construct ‘gopurams’ for six sub-temples in the historical Chaya Someswara Swamy temple complex in the district.

The Act states that construction of any additional structures on the premises of a protected monument is prohibited. But the temple committee has gone ahead and completed construction of all the ‘gopurams’ with only plastering to four of them remaining, without obtaining any sort of permission from the Director of Archaeology and Museums.

The Chaya Someswara Swamy temple, a ‘thrikutalayam’ constructed by the Kunduru Cholas in 11th and 12th centuries, is famous for a mystifying shadow that falls on the ‘Sivalingam’. A writer, Alikatte Shankar, lodged a complaint against construction of ‘gopurams’ with the authorities two days ago.

Taking cognisance of the complaint, Assistant Director-Archaeology, P. Nagaraju, inspected the site and ordered a halt to the work.

Mr. Nagaraju said he would take up the issue with Director-Archaeology, S.R. Vishalatchi, and added that the structures would soon be removed. Temple Committee Chairman Gantla Ananta Reddy and some Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activists visited the temple on Tuesday and said they had embarked on the construction following suggestions from Hampi Peethadhipathi.

Assistant Commissioner of Endowment Department A. Ramachander Rao said they had constituted an ad hoc committee only under the chairmanship of Mr. Ananta Reddy, who is an educationist, only to oversee the utsavams, but it had no authority to carry out any work. He clarified that even the Endowments department had no authority to permit construction on the premises of protected monuments.

“The Department of Archaeology restored the partially-collapsed temple boundary wall at a cost of Rs. 40 lakh, with rocks under the observation of experts,” he said, terming the constructions a blatant violation of the Act. “Each and every work in protected monuments must be taken up by the Department of Archaeology under strict monitoring,” he said.

Mr. Shankar and historians urged the State government to initiate action against committee members, apart from directions to the Archaeology department to restore the temple by following norms.