Chennai: Road map for conservation of temples on cards

Chennai: The Hindu religious and charitable endowments department is in the process of evolving a policy aimed at formulating a strategy to address any structural distress to temple structures including those of heritage value, besides prepare a road map for conservation of temples under its control by involving the indigenous or traditional skills of the sthapathis.

The HR & CE has classified the temples based on their historic importance to new constructions, temples of archaeological \ architectural value, etc., in following the conservation principles. "There is a need to evaluate the temples for appropriate conservation strategies using criteria relevant to the structures and initiate steps for conservation, renovation or maintenance that are specific to the nature of the temple," says a manual on temple conservation prepared by the department recently.

Temples are graded based on their values — historic (depending upon the age of the structure, association with historic events), Deiva prathistai (where the idol is believed to have been installed and worshipped by Gods like Brahma, Indra, Vayu and Varuna), Siddhar prathistai (established by saints), Swayambu (self-manifested). There should be minimum intervention in these 'puradhana' (ancient) temples unless there is any structural distress in the temple structure that may affect the safety of the structure or the safety of the devotees.

Temples have also been classified as literary value - especially the temples sung by saints or  'Padal Petra Sthalam' and this includes 274 Saivite temples sung in the ancient Thevarams and Thirumurai - Saiva devotional poetry, and 108 Vaishnavite temples sung in the Divyaprabandham by the Alwars.

A strategy for addressing any structural distress to temple structure with possible intervention has also been suggested. As the process of conservation is complex, since the structure, material and nature of construction vary from one temple to another, emphasis has been made on the cultural and emotional factors while dealing with these structures. 

The commissioner would consult experts approved by ASI, state archaeology and museum department as well as conservation experts in the field, before taking up any conservation work, an official said.