TEMPLES REVIVAL

The GK Mandap as we call, or the Gangai Kondan Mandap in Kanchipuram, just opposite Sankara Mutt, where a big Hanuman is worshiped and where the annual utsavam happens and the traditional Umbrella Makers for the Varadaraja make them for ages,  was in danger. We saw the lintel above the entrance hanging almost, wanting to fall off any moment. We immediately supported it with two poles and sought help from members and philanthropists. To our rescue the Lord himself sent his devotee, Shri Narayanan, a Power plant industrialist and our patron. He immediately took up the total cost of the project and after some dilly-dallying with the endowment officials, we finally got the approval and the work is on! The roof was over burdened with extra weight from the shops all around, who were dumping all broken walls and tubes, poles etc on the mandap for ages, as well as extra weight due to cement plastering done some years ago by some renovator, had weakened the structures. We have removed all the extra weight and the broken lintel is to be replaced with a 19 feet long single stone bolster, to be cut and shaped to size, sought from a quarry in Bangalore!

The police, the shop keepers around and the Umbrella makers inside the mandap complicated the work daily and amidst all problems, we were able to almost finish the frontage and I have not visited for the last 2 days but was told that the same has been painted with yellow ochre with lime plaster. The frontage is finished. what is left is the flooring within the mandap but was thwarted the Umbrella makers. The E.O promised that after the Utsavam we will get them vacated for few days and re-do the mandap.

With the help, patience and perseverance of the donor for this mandap, Shri Narayanan, of M/s. PPN Power Limited, an ardent devotee of Shri Varadaraja, we could do this work, and we thank him for all the support. Once we complete totally all the work, we will upload those photos too.

The link of photo updates

https://picasaweb.google.com/111020195956704115146/GangaikondanMandapRenovation

The full work is over. There was some delay due to continuous festivals in between and also some resistance from the shop keepers around, as there was no way to go up. Atlast, we could remove all the debris above and restore the mandap, relay the stuccos figures, the frontage and the weather coarse and roof of the mandap.

See the pictures here