The ancient mast collapsed on October 23, 2011.
Online drive to revive ancient temple mast
GUNTUR: An online campaign seeking reconstruction of 1500-year-old Gali Gopuram (temple mast) of ancient Bhavanarayana Swamy temple at Bapatla has began. The ancient mast collapsed on October 23, 2011 but it has not been reconstructed so far. The public sentimentally feel that the collapse of the mast is a bad omen and demanding to rebuild it.
According to history, Bhavanarayana temple located in the heart of Bapatla, is one among the oldest temples constructed by king Krimikantha Chola in 1465 and was restored by Raja Vasireddi Venkata-dri Naidu of Amravati kingdom in 1856. The tower of the temple was designed from one rock and it was the specialty of the temple. The public, including saints and devotees feel some unknown power, calmness, peace within the temple. This temple reportedly belongs to the Mauryan era in the then Bhavapuri which later came to be known as Bapatla.
Gali Gopura Nirmana Committee chairman S.B.N.G. Tilak said that sadly the archeological department did not start any construction since 2011 after the masdt collapsed. He said that they started an online campaign through Integr-ated Citizen Redressal Forum (ICRF) and its Android mobile application. He said that people can install ICRF mobile application in their smart phones and can join the campaign demanding reconstruction of the mast. The committee members lamented that according to the Hindu mythology, absence of the mast is a bad omen to the local people.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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