Nalgonda temple to be transplanted

Hyderabad: The ancient Shambhulingeswara Swami temple that was submerged in the Udayasamudram reservoir in Nalgonda will be transplanted  to a nearby safer zone soon. The temple, which dates back to the Konduri Chodulu dynasty (1040-1290 AD), recently surfaced after water levels in the reservoir fell.

But due to a fresh release of water into the reservoir, in Nalgonda district, the temple submerged again. The last time the temple had surfaced was in the drought of 2004. “We sent proposals to the director of Archaeology and Museums N.R. Visalatchy asking for the shifting of the temple to a place near Panagal museum or into an open space near the Chaya Someshwaraswamy temple. The temple has to be dismantled piece-by-piece, stones catalogued and shifted for reconstruction,”  P. Nagaraju, assistant director, department of Archaeology and Museums, Nalgonda/Mahbubnagar said.  He added that the work will be taken up after water levels recede — mostly in May.