Propped up 160-foot gopuram on verge of collapse

The temple of Sri Kodandarama Swamy here, also known as the second Bhadradri, requires immediate attention as many parts of the ancient structure are in a sorry state. The 160-foot Rajagopuram, constructed about 600 years ago, is now a mere shadow of what it was even some decades ago.

Several of the beautiful sculptures adorning the structure have been lost to the vagaries of time and nature. The two restoration attempts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the vanguard of the temple, failed to yield any result. Cracks on four sides of the gopuram are reported to be widening with the passage of time. Holes have developed on the north side of the temple tower and its roof has developed cracks. Even the stones supporting the structure have cracked and now it looks like it’s only a matter time for it to meet the same fate as the Srisailam or Srikalahasti  gopurams.

Though an iron girder has been placed to prop up the weakened structure, the stone parts are crumbling. An expert committee visited the temple after the collapse of the gopuram of the Srikalahasti temple but made no recommendations for its preservation.

When contacted, temple executive officer Sesha Reddy said that they have written a letter to the conservation assistant of the ASI in July but did not get any response till date. However, the optimistic temple official expects a positive response soon.

On the directions of endowment minister C Ramachandraiah, the endowments department engineers inspected the temple and found that the sanctum sanctorum, Ranga Mandapam, Rajagopuram and the Dwaja Stambam are in urgent need of repair. They also found that north-east section of the temple has slightly caved into the ground. Also, they recommended re-carpeting of the floor of the temple.

A proposal was mooted for the reconstruction of the Sanjeevaraya temple and renovation of the Rama Kutiram. They had prepared an estimate and wrote a letter to the ASI seeking permission from the heritage conservation authority, under whose purview the temple falls.