Nellore: Noted sculptors in Prakasam and Guntur districts in AP are hard at work carving traditional temple architecture on black granite stones for gopurams for the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, now known as Yadadri, in Telangana state.
TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had declared plans to develop Yadadri along the lines of Tirumala. Following this, the Yadadri Temple Development Authority formed a three-member expert committee led by adviser S. Sundar Rajan Sthapati, A. Velu Sthapati and Anand Sai Sthapati, who is also an art director for films.
Popular sculptors like Panneeru Subrahman-yam Achari of Sridevi Silpakala Mandiram in Ongole and Narasimhulu of Narasaraopeta will work on the Rajagopuram.
Both the sculptors have established a reputation with their contributions to scores of temples in the south, the latest being Amaravati main temple and Srikalahasti Rajagopuram.
The YTDA was entrusted the work of 60-foot rajagopurams to the east west and the 50-foot vimana gopuram that comes atop the sanctum sanctorum with a single stone to Mr Subrahmanyam.
The 60-foot south and north rajagopurams have been given to Mr Narasimhulu by the Yadadri authority. Mr Subrahmanyam told this newspaper they had completed six layers of the rajagopurams and basement for the vimana gopuram and intend to shift them to Yadadri soon.
The sculptors under the supervision of Sthapatis deputed by the YTDA are carrying out the gigantic task along with hundreds of workers from Tamil Nadu skilled in building temples and renovating the ancient shrines.
Deputy sthapati of the TS endowment department Perumal Ganesh, who is supervising the work in Marturu, said that the YTDA was using Krishna Sila (black granite stone) available only at the Gurijepalle quarry in Guntur district as directed by the Agama Shastras for the Yadadri temple.
First in recent times, Yadadri temple to have jaggery-lime-inknut mixture
For the first time, probably after centuries, a mixture of jaggery, li-me and inknut (karakkaya) is being used as per ancient traditions for joining the layers of the domes meant for four rajagopurams and vimana gopuram of the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri in Telangana state.
Mr Perumal Ganesh, deputy sthapati of the TS endowments wing, said cement was being used for joints in temples or other holy places because using the mixture of jaggery, lime and inknut was a very costly affair and a difficult task.
According to the sthapatis, the mixture is the secret behind the cool atmosphere in the historical temples at Tirumala and in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
He said they were also using stone for the entire temple and prakara mandapams similar to Tirumala. “We are following the Agama Shastra, Silpa Shastra (Kasyapa, Mayamati methods) for the structure including the main temple and prakara mandapam” Mr Ganesh said.
