The gold-coating works for ‘pancha loha’ Kalashas of the historical Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple, on the banks of Cauvery in Srirangapatna in the district, are underway.
The Muzrai Department, under the supervision of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTAC), has undertaken the renovation works of the kalashas at the temple.
According to sources at the department, donors have come forward to provide financial assistance to the works.
The temple, one of the holy places on the banks of Cauvery, was built during the reign of the Ganga dynasty in the 9th century.
It had five kalashas and of them, one, weighing 30 kg, that used to be atop the 60 feet five-tier ‘Raja Gopura’ (tower), had fallen on March 1, 2013. Subsequently, the department had removed all the five kalashas in March 2013. Nevertheless, the renovation works had not commenced owing to the financial constraints.
Donors come forward
Each kalasha requires at least 400 gm of gold for coating. The department had approached the people for this. Now, some donors have come forward to extend financial support for the cause, sources at the temple said.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will monitor the renovation works. Once the works are completed, the kalashas will be re-installed, sources said.
Pilgrim centre
The temple is one of the most popular religious centres in the district and attracts several thousands of pilgrims and tourists from different parts of the country every month. A good number of foreign tourists visit the temple everyday too.
According to the priests, Srirangapatna derives its name from the Sri Rangantha Swamy temple, which is one among the three major temples built on three different islands on the Cauvery dedicated to lord Ranganatha.
