The 13th century Keshava temple, described as “poetry in stone”, is getting a makeover ahead of the proposed visit of the UNESCO team to inspect the Hoysala monument nominated for inscription as a World Heritage Site.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun sprucing up the last of the great Hoysala temples located close to the Cauvery and was built by Soma or Somanatha, a high-ranking officer under the Hoysala King Narasimha III (1254-1291 CE), in 1268 CE.
Hoysala classics
The Keshava or the Kesava temple at Somanathapur is clubbed with two other Hoysala classics --– Chennakeshava temple at Belur and Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid --– and are together India’s official nomination seeking UNESCO World Heritage status this year.
In connection with it, the UNESCO team is tentatively scheduled to visit Somanathpur to inspect the monument along with the temples at Belur and Halebid. There has been a flurry of activity ever since the three monuments were officially nominated by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for inscription as a UNESCO site.
Senior officials of the ASI ---including its Director-General Vidyavathi –-- recently paid a visit to Somanathapur and inspected the ongoing works.
Chemical treatment
Both the exteriors and the interiors of the temple, including the sculptures, are being cleaned and spruced up using a light chemical solution to remove the accumulated grime. Meanwhile, tourists visiting the temple will be deprived of soaking in the monument in its full glory as scaffoldings have been erected to cover the towers to facilitate the ongoing work.
A team of ASI officials are supervising the works which commenced early July and is expected to be completed by the end of August or early September. In addition to removing the grime, the ASI is also redoing the landscaping on the premises of the monument, besides modernising the existing amenities.
Fear of eviction
Meanwhile, the local community living close to the monument is perturbed about the developments as there is a perception that they could be evicted or there would be hindrance in undertaking repair works or reconstruction or extension of their existing houses once the temple is inscribed as a UNESCO site.
Devaraj, a licensed guide at the temple, said that there is confusion over the fate of the local community as at present there is a 100 metre prohibitory area around protected monuments that restricted development works. Though the Centre had stated that it would amend the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, to make the rule more site-specific, there was no clarity on the issue, he said.
The issue was also raised by T. Narsipur MLA Ashwin Kumar at a recent meeting of the Tourism Department who said that the locals should not be disturbed at any cost.
