Old technology restores Srikalahasti Temple’s grandeur

Using modern techniques and materials to renovate ancient structures without obscuring their aesthetic and historical value has always been a challenge. When the structure is a temple as old as the Srikalahastheeswara Swamy Devasthanam, there is no room for error when it is located in the town of Srikalahasti in the Tirupati region.

Despite the use of concrete for years, the temple faces leaks in several places on its roof. However, the latest efforts of temple management have blended ancient practices with modern technology, which promise lasting solutions and also keep the temple’s authentic beauty intact.

A fascinating origin

Srikalahastheeswara Swamy Temple is a famous Saivite shrine that is regarded as “Dakshina Kashi” (Southern Kashi). People from the south find it difficult to visit Kashgar, an ancient town on the banks of the Ganges river, and pray at this shrine. The visit to the temple is said to be the same as that of Kashi Vishwanath Mandir.

Myth shows that the Shiva Linga here was originally from Sri (spider), Kara (Snake) and Hasty (elephant), hence the name. In addition, the story of Bhakta Kannappa, a devotee of the Shangqiu tribe, is also welcomed by the masses.

This ancient shrine was rebuilt and developed by various kings over the centuries. Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Dynasty built the main structure in 11^Th century. The temple’s inscription also mentions the contributions of Rajaditya Chola, Rajaraja Chola and Kulothunga Chola to the shrine.

In 1516, Vijayanagara Emperor Sri Krishna Devaraya built a hundred sights that were considered to be with its ornate carvings. It collapsed in May 2010 but was rebuilt in its original form at the same site and was dedicated in 2017.

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The temple structure has a huge public roof, spread over 64,000 square feet, covering the sanctuary of Sri Swamivaru and Ammavaru, in addition to other celestial bodies (Parivara devathalu).

The slate high preserves the ancient roof of tiles and sulki (burnt clay) mortar. When it rains, water seeps into the temple through the pillar joints and penetrates into the gaps in the roof stone. The problem was first proposed in 2009, when chemical coatings were applied to prevent leakage, but in vain.

In 2014, except for the Ammavari Temple, the entire roof was given a chemical coating, but the leak reappeared a year or two later. A similar procedure was conducted in 2018, with the donation specialist ordering the application of two chemicals on the basis of the experiment. Therefore, during the 2018-19 period, the main leak points above Sikhara Darshan, the corridor from Vahana Mandapam to Nataraja Swamy Sannidhi and from Swamivari Sannidhi to Yagasala were processed. This will not work in a few years.

In the sing of frustration, temple administrators consulted experts to come up with an out-of-the-box solution.

Research

The Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (IIT-T) is 20 km from the temple and provides a solution. IIT-T director Kn Satyanarayana visited the temple (from IIT-Madras) in October 2021 with CVR Murthy and Professor Arun Menon, B. Balakrishna and Prasanna Kumar Behera, both assistant professors at IIT-T.

Director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) (Subject) K. Munirathnam Reddy was also divided to consult for consultation on maintaining the heritage structure in its original form. He also played a role in persuading the sponsor Uttara Devi charitable trust led by B. Venkateswara Rao of VH Group in Pune to meet the cost of Rs 5 crore.

The team recommends core cutting to understand the stratigraphic details of the Surkhi mortar at the selected point on the roof. The collected samples were sent to the laboratory of IIT-Madras.

The sample shows at least five layers of bricks with lime mortar joints. Because the thermal behavior of ordinary cement concrete (PCC) and lime mortar is fundamentally different, the overlay of concrete on ancient roofs leads to cracks. This is exacerbated by the rusted chicken mesh on the top of the concrete. The cracks in the PCC layer cause a large amount of rainwater leakage, which is absorbed by the brick layer.

Before the work began, the team of experts visited ancient temples in Tamil Nadu, especially those built during the Palava and Chora eras to understand the complexity of the stone structure, especially the joints, and to replicate ancient technical practices to ensure authenticity.

For the pilot, the team chose the roof of goddess Gnana Prasunambika Devi. The concrete layer was removed and a mixture made of Jaggery, Kadukkai (Hirda) extract, gum arabic, Lady’s Finger’s Finger, Jute, Jute and Urad Dal was proposed for redoing.

Sufficient gradients are proposed to prevent stormwater from stagnating. “PVC pipes are taken every 30 m2 of roof area to filter out dried leaves and debris to avoid clogging the pipes,” said T. Bapi Reddy, executive officer of Srikalahastheeswara Swamy Swamy Devasthanam.

How it is done

The concrete cover is removed manually without using any power tools to protect the slate below. After removing all loose and damaged bricks and mortar, fresh weathered route BJLC, compatible with roof historic materials, was used.

Dr Muniratnam Reddy, ASI Director (ePigraphy), said: “BJLC is added to lime and sand by crushing Jaggery and mixing it in water.

The ideal ratio is 4% Jaggery and 2.5% Kadukkai with each liter of water. The solution fermented for 15 days, mixed with lime mortar and injected between damaged brick layers to enhance them.

What does the expert say

The expert team examining ancient structures made some important observations on the preservation of stone structures.

The team believes that a major problem is the current practice of using cement mortar on vertical stone walls to prevent leakage. This should be avoided because it may damage the stone over time due to the stiffness and strength of the cement mortar. Experts recommend lime mortar as a better option.

They also observed that many temple managers resorted to temporary solutions such as beach explosions. Such steps not only damage the beauty of the stone, but also damage any historical inscriptions that the stone may have, making them difficult to understand.

Another problem pointed out by experts is that drilling to stone structures and other fixtures such as air conditioning ducts, public address systems, security cameras and fire fighting equipment, and the Srikalahasti Temple is no exception. Experts recommend removing the air-conditioning outdoor unit from the terrace, instead keeping the centralized AC system away from the historical structure.

The Srikalahasti project took 14 months to complete, and experts involved in the project said the structure will continue for the next 500 years and its architecture is grand and complete.