KVT likely to engage CBRI to save temple walls

VARANASI: The Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust has decided to rope in Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee for saving centuries-old temple’s artistic walls being ruined by the delay in removal of enamel paint.
However, the date of starting the work is yet to be decided as the trust meeting scheduled for Wednesday was once again postponed due to some undisclosed reason.
In 2008-09, the experts had opined that enamel paint applied on the temple was damaging its wall. Till 2013, the temple administration and trust knocked at the doors of Archeological Survey of India (ASI), National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC), NGOs and individual artistes for removal of paint. Now, they have turned to CBRI for the same.
KVT chief executive officer AK Awasthi told TOI, “The CBRI is seeking Rs 57 lakh to study the problem and find a solution. The decision to forward the issue to the state government for approval and sanctioning of budget was to be taken during KVT trust’s meeting on Wednesday.” However, he could not pin-point a date for forwarding the proposal.
Built by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1977 the KVT, which enshrines one of the 12 Jyotirlings of Lord Shiva was, started facing threat after the enamel paint was applied on it in 1990s. The blunder of applying enamel paint on KVT walls was repeated more than five times in the past two decades. The temple is built of porous stones, which absorb water along with salt and mineral through capillary action. Plastic paint applied on the walls locked the moisture in stones causing damage to the structure. The attention of temple administration as well as state government was drawn towards it when general secretary of the Citizen Forum and former minister Shatrudra Prakash sought a white paper on the application of enamel paint in 2008-09.
Later the temple trust sought help of ASI and NRLC to examine the impact of enamel. After examining the effect of enamel paint the NRLC initially prepared an estimate of Rs 2.19 crore to remove it. But, when trust rejected this estimate the NRLC prepared another estimate of Rs 1.22 crore. But, this proposal was also not accepted by the trust as well as the temple administration. After these developments the temple was given proposals by NGOs and individual artisans for removal of enamel paints.
In 2013 the principal secretary (religious works) Navneet Sehgal had mentioned that some selected artistes can be allowed to start removing paints after the end of Maha Kumbh’s rush following Mahashivratri. But, now Awasthi claims that this work can be assigned to any government institution only due to which the decision for engaging CBRI has been taken. The officials are surely in no hurry but the adverse effect of delay is visible on the walls of the temple for past two-three years. In July 2012 a railing of a decayed portion had collapsed in which a priest was injured.