The famous Shivaji tower named after the Maratha freedom fighter Chatrapati Shivaji has collapsed at around 2-10 am on Wednesday. Half of the historic tower has fallen due to incessant rains for the past 4 days, said temple authorities.
The tower was constructed during 12th and 13th centuries. The government has taken up restoration work of the tower in 1965. The experts committee that was set up by the government to inspect the condition of temple towers has inspected the Shivaji tower and suggested its reconstruction. Following this suggestion, temple authorities have performed the Kalasa Kaparshana puja in May 2011. However they had not taken up the restoration work.
Soon after knowing about the collapse of the tower, temple Trust Board member Alturi Adinarayana Reddy has come forward for constructing it at a cost of Rs.four crore.
OBJECTIONS BY PUNDITS
Endowments commissioner G Balaramaiah has on Wednesday visited Srisailam and inspected the temple tower (Shivaji Gopuram) that has collapsed.
Talking to the media later, he said it is because of the objections being raised by spiritual leaders that the reconstruction work of the aging temple structures was getting delayed. He said incidents such as these would not have happened if every one joined together and taken action to renovate such structures. He said the expert committee constituted by the government has recommended reconstruction of 47 temples in the state. He said though permission was given in 2011 itself for reconstruction of ‘Gali Gopurams’, work was delayed because of objections from pandits.(NSS)