Kurnool: Work on sculpting pillars and statues for the Yadadri temple in Telangana state is in the final stages at Allagadda in Kurnool district.
More than 200 pillars and statues are being given the final touches, said Mr Raveendra Achari, whose family has been entrusted with the task. The sculptors have earned international recognition for carving images of Gods on stone. They are also carving a huge Buddha wheel for the AP capital Amaravati.
Explaining the work at the Yadadri temple, Mr Achari said it was a massive task as intricate sculpting was required to be done on stone pillars, besides chiselling images of gods. He said that a dedicated team was working on site at Yadadri, besides the major pieces of stone work are being done at Allagadda.
The Telangana state government, with the intention of transforming Yadadri into a pilgrimage centre on par with Tirupati, sought idols of various gods, goddesses and figures from mythology to be sculptured at Allagadda in AP.
As per sources, the Telangana state government is spending as much as Rs. 500 crore to erect historical and traditional stone sculptures at the temple. It is said that the sculpting work at Allagadda alone bagged a contract worth close to Rs 75 crore.
The government selected five famous sculptors at Allagadda town, including key architect S.D. Hari Prasad Achari, three at Ongole, one at Kotappakonda and the third at Hyderabad. Other small works are also going on in places like Kammavaripalem, Marulla and Garijepalli in AP.
At least 1,000 artists are engaged in doing the stone work. Nearly 100 prakarams (main wall poles) with statues of Narasimha Swamy and lion symbols, 36 Valley lion pillars, four key prakarams, four main walls, the sanctums and four galigopurams are being made at different places.
“Generally, all temples including at Srisailam and Tirupati have rajagopurams (galigopuram) made of stones at the rope level and are constructed using cement and other material. The Yadadri temple’s rajagopurams will be erected using only stone, Mr Achari said.
