Ballari: An under-construction temple of goddess Gangamma was razed to the ground on Sunday by the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority (HWHAMA) on the northern bank of the ancient Kamalapura tank in the core zone of the ruins of this citadel of the Vijaynagar empire .
Tension brewed as people of the Gangamatha community , who were building the temple , complained to the local police that HWHAMA had demolished it without giving them any notice and a meeting was called on Monday to sort out the matter between them and representatives of the authority and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The locals claimed they had given a requisition to the Hampi Authority in 2011 seeking permission to construct the temple on the northern bank of the ancient tank as the site was used for performing their rituals. They said they began building the temple as there was no response from HWHAMA even after five years and urged the authorities to reconstruct it. HWHAMA commissioner, Avinash Rajendra Menon agreed to consider their demand once they submitted a fresh requisition to him.
The under-construction temple was demolished following objections raised by the ASI. Its deputy superintending archaeologist, Hampi mini circle, wrote to the HWHAMA on April 21 asking it to stop the unauthorised construction.
