Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Cheranmahadevi Ramaswamy Temple
When we visited Cheranmahadevi Ramaswamy temple (the locals call it Sermadevi and insist that's the right way to pronounce!) we were not aware that this temple has a 3 tiered Vimana. Having imposing Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, Hanuman sculptures right at the entrance and some interesting sculptures in the motif at the entrance, the temple stands clearly with tell-tale signs of a Vishnu temple, the Moolavar still is...
Later Nayakas had patronized and the Bronzes of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, Hanuman would have been donated to this temple for Urchava Moorthis' worship, but unless we ask the Bhattar to show us above, allow us to climb up the stairs to have a look at the other two tiers, one can never imagine the Vimana having within itself the layers where Original stucco with their sheen lost and mutilated, lie there as a glaring example of the neglect we have on such rare beauties. Leave along the antiquity, but where are the real Vishnu Bhakthas? While we enter the Cheranmahadevi village, we see a contract of sorts, on the right a Vishnu temple renovated with all the jarring colours and spoils, and far off at the banks of Thamirabarani, on the left the elegant Bhaktavatsala temple renovated and maintained by the A.S.I. Not daring to enter the one in the right, with its gory sight, we visited last time the Bhaktavatsala temple, and this temple too.
When Pradeep Chakravarthy had written about the sad plight of this temple, we were asking ourselves, "Was there a Vimana with three tiers?" Yes, true but sad.
While climbing on the stairs, we saw two parts of Chola inscriptions, and atop, we saw the abandoned Deities all waiting in silence for someone to spruce their looks up! Ironically, this made us learnt a lot on how the stucco using lime mortar, wood as supporting beams and coconut coir as binders were used to construct and make the deities. Faded original paintings were also carrying the sad story within and waiting for some sensible restorer to uplift them.
The roof weather coarse had also eroded, showing signs of leakage. Inside the temple, all stone walls and pillars were white washed, making sure that none of the intricate carvings were made to be seen.
Mr.Ali, a self made archaeologist and heritage lover, who has some large collection of coins and stamps, also an artist drawing sketches from this temple says, " I frequent this temple, whenever I want to energize myself. This is my cradle. I can't bear this agony of seeing it crumble. Will I see the light of the day, the restored temple, before my light goes off?," asks he, tears rolling off his eyes. Dumb struck, we had no answers.
Look at the pictures
We are only heritage lovers as he is, but want to tell the world about this temple and ask all who are concerned, to bring in funds to renovate this magnificent temple. We do not blame the endowments department or the state and central archaeology departments, as they do not have a data base of how many such temples lie across the state nor a foresight of what to do to save a heritage temple. Enough of blame game, we wish only all concerned open their eyes. As a study of contract, we see within Cheranmahadevi (Mr. Ali corrects me again, Sermadevi!) one spoilt renovation, one excellent renovation and one neglected heritage temple! Such is the state of heritage here! Hope the Lord himself shows us the way and answer our queries.
Later Nayakas had patronized and the Bronzes of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, Hanuman would have been donated to this temple for Urchava Moorthis' worship, but unless we ask the Bhattar to show us above, allow us to climb up the stairs to have a look at the other two tiers, one can never imagine the Vimana having within itself the layers where Original stucco with their sheen lost and mutilated, lie there as a glaring example of the neglect we have on such rare beauties. Leave along the antiquity, but where are the real Vishnu Bhakthas? While we enter the Cheranmahadevi village, we see a contract of sorts, on the right a Vishnu temple renovated with all the jarring colours and spoils, and far off at the banks of Thamirabarani, on the left the elegant Bhaktavatsala temple renovated and maintained by the A.S.I. Not daring to enter the one in the right, with its gory sight, we visited last time the Bhaktavatsala temple, and this temple too.
When Pradeep Chakravarthy had written about the sad plight of this temple, we were asking ourselves, "Was there a Vimana with three tiers?" Yes, true but sad.
While climbing on the stairs, we saw two parts of Chola inscriptions, and atop, we saw the abandoned Deities all waiting in silence for someone to spruce their looks up! Ironically, this made us learnt a lot on how the stucco using lime mortar, wood as supporting beams and coconut coir as binders were used to construct and make the deities. Faded original paintings were also carrying the sad story within and waiting for some sensible restorer to uplift them.
The roof weather coarse had also eroded, showing signs of leakage. Inside the temple, all stone walls and pillars were white washed, making sure that none of the intricate carvings were made to be seen.
Mr.Ali, a self made archaeologist and heritage lover, who has some large collection of coins and stamps, also an artist drawing sketches from this temple says, " I frequent this temple, whenever I want to energize myself. This is my cradle. I can't bear this agony of seeing it crumble. Will I see the light of the day, the restored temple, before my light goes off?," asks he, tears rolling off his eyes. Dumb struck, we had no answers.
Look at the pictures
We are only heritage lovers as he is, but want to tell the world about this temple and ask all who are concerned, to bring in funds to renovate this magnificent temple. We do not blame the endowments department or the state and central archaeology departments, as they do not have a data base of how many such temples lie across the state nor a foresight of what to do to save a heritage temple. Enough of blame game, we wish only all concerned open their eyes. As a study of contract, we see within Cheranmahadevi (Mr. Ali corrects me again, Sermadevi!) one spoilt renovation, one excellent renovation and one neglected heritage temple! Such is the state of heritage here! Hope the Lord himself shows us the way and answer our queries.
Labels: 3 tiered temple, conserveheritage.org, heritage conservation, Pandya Kingdom, Perumal temple renovation, Rama temple, REACH FOUNDATION, Vishnu temple renovation
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Stone Vimana temple lying in ruins..
Go on Bangalore Highway, off. Ocheri, some 7 kilometers you will land at Pudhur Village. Interestingly en-route to this breathtaking Vikrama Chola Temple (1118 AD), you come across 2 Shiva Temples and a Vishnu Temple belonging to the Nayaka Period, also lying uncared and in ruins.
Cross Palar river where sand quarrying with Dippers are going on, on the pretext of excavating land for building a bridge...
And you suddenly come across this Beauty lying amidst a Sugar Cane field...
Ramesh Shivan, an ardent shiva devotee, working in T.N. E.B, who mobilizes Uzavarappani groups for cleaning temple in and around Kanchipuram, is keen on seeing this temple back in shape. People please contact reach.foundation.india@gmail.com for donations, to renovate this beautiful temple. 80G IT exemption available for all Indian donors.
Labels: Chola temples, Ocheri, Pudhur, REACH FOUNDATION, temple renovation
Friday, July 30, 2010
Mathur- temple in a forest
Mathur, near Pullamangai alias pasupathi Kovil, next to Ayyampettai on the Tanjore- Kumbakonam Highway, really is a place where a huge forest ad-measuring some 100 acres, keeps beneath its covers a huge Vijayanagara period Vishnu temple under its green covers! Until the retired Headmaster of the Ayyampettai school, Mr. Selvaraj told us, we were not aware such a huge temple would be lost in time.
Dr Satyamurthy, Chandra and Sriram the REACH team ventured into the forest to find to our greatsurprise and immense sadness the state of this brick temple. Led by the enthusiastic Head Master Mr. Selvaraj and his student, we have no words to describe this temple. They claim it is a private land, and we wonder how it can be? wither the archeaology department or the HR&CE department should look into taking possession and REACH is ready to restore this temple, which is believed to buried under sands when the mighty Cauveri changed tracks and flooded the entire Mathur area some 200 years before!
May be after Cauveri, Headmaster Selvaraj, it is the REACH team which bothered to enter and see the temple in such state of affairs!
Member Sriram has sent his Picasa album for us to see...
Message of Shriram: This small village is called Mathur near Pasupathi Kovil in Thanjavur District... (72 kms from Tiruchy). Here we discovered a ruined 80ft tall brick temple tower mid of a forest...it was interesting and adventurous to visit such a place and it was sad that such a huge temple is in ruined status :( here are some of the photos for you... shriram |
Labels: heritage conservation, mathur, pullamangai, REACH FOUNDATION, temple renovation, temples revival
Saturday, May 08, 2010
100 pillar hall -Varadaraja Perumal temple progress
The roof terrace of the 100 pillar hall in Varadaraja Perumal has been re-done after removing the spoilt lime weather coarse and was relaid and the stucco figures of Garuda on all 4 corners, the parapeet wall cordons and the front tower gopura mukha with Varadaraja Perumal, Sridevi, Bhoodevi Stucco as the centre piece were restored back to life.
Latest updates: See the flooring done around the mandapa, as the mandapa work is almost over as on June 2010.
Labels: heritage conservation, Kanchipuram, Krishnadevaraya, Perumal temple renovation, REACH FOUNDATION, Varadaraja Perumal temple, Vijayanagar Period
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Alternate method to clean granite pillars and structures.
The Vishnu Temple after the Aavin milk dairy, at Semmenjeri, at OMR Chennai, had an unique problem.The 16 pillared mandapa before the main shrine and the two 4 pillared mandaps before the Thayar and Andal Sannidhi were fully covered with thick coat of paint. Later the trustees of the temple, found that it looked ugly and they approached REACH FOUNDATION for removal of the paint, without affecting the structure and material composition of the granite pillar.
We took up this challenge, brought in geological experts, researcher from IIT in civil, our founder trustee Dr. T.Satyamurthy and P.R.O Chandra devised a method to clean the mandap in 2 days and one night using paint stripper first and then blasting them off with high pressure water jet. Normally this cleaning is proven and faster, against the conventional cleaning of granite walls and pillars for which HR & CE uses sand blasting ruptures the surface and develops fine cracks. The sculptures on the pillars were also retained to the finest details by this method. Thanks to the trustees Mr. Srinivasan and Mr. Kannan who gave us the opportunity to do this and develop a far more safe and clean technology than sand blasting.
See the photos here.
We took up this challenge, brought in geological experts, researcher from IIT in civil, our founder trustee Dr. T.Satyamurthy and P.R.O Chandra devised a method to clean the mandap in 2 days and one night using paint stripper first and then blasting them off with high pressure water jet. Normally this cleaning is proven and faster, against the conventional cleaning of granite walls and pillars for which HR & CE uses sand blasting ruptures the surface and develops fine cracks. The sculptures on the pillars were also retained to the finest details by this method. Thanks to the trustees Mr. Srinivasan and Mr. Kannan who gave us the opportunity to do this and develop a far more safe and clean technology than sand blasting.
See the photos here.
Labels: cleaning pillaras, REACH FOUNDATION, restoration, sand blasting, Semmenjeri, temple cleaning, temple renovation, water jet cleaning
