Tirupati, May 27: The 135-ft high Rajagopuram at Srikalahasti temple, a standing testimony to 500 years of history, collapsed on itself here on Wednesday night. The seven-storeyed structure, built in 1516 A.D by Sri Krishna Devarayalu of the Vijayanagara empire, came down with an earth shattering sound forcing panicky devotees, temple staff and locals in the vicinity to run helter skelter.
Though no casualties had been reported, unconfirmed reports said two women had gone missing. Many simians were said to have been crushed to death.
After the recent cyclonic storm Laila, cracks in the Rajagopuram widened and an expert team, comprising an IIT professor from Chennai, TTD consultant professor Narasimham and Geologist Rammohan, had suggested that the area be cordoned off. Accordingly, an area of up to 150 ft radius around the structure, was made off limits to devotees. ‘‘It is very unfortunate that gali gopuram has collapsed. Exposure to natural elements caused several cracks to appear. About two decades ago, lightning sliced through it. A few days ago, we had called for experts to inspect the edifice. We were to take action basing on their report,’’ Shantaram J Pawar, temple trust board Chairman said.
Constructed by the famous Vijayanagara emperor to mark his victory over the Gajapathis, the gopuram’s base floor was made of kasi rallu (cut stones) and the rest of the floors were made of brick and mortar. It also had a pair of stairs from inside made of teakwood and stone.
It was first renovated in the modern era in 1960 by the government. But the contractor did a poor job.
It had to be renovated again in 1990 at a cost of Rs 10 lakh — courtesy an interestfree loan from TTD. But then too, the quality of work was no better.
In the last two decades, the number of cracks in the structure increased and and widened and repeated pleas of the temple management to the government to look into the issue fell on deaf ears.
The situation worsened due to the mushrooming borewells and sanitation pits by the people who encroached upon the land in the vicinity, further weakening the structure. Roots of trees too took a toll upon the gopuram. Rains and gales in the last two months battered the already brittle structure.
The cyclonic storm Laila proved to be the last straw.
SP (admin) RN Ammi Reddy said 50-odd families and 15 shops in the area had been evacuated on the advice of experts. ‘‘Our efforts paid off. There were no casualties.
No structural damage to either the main temple or any other buildings nearby has been reported,’’ he said.
District Collector V Seshadri directed the officials to clear the debris. The exercise is expected to take two, three days. A police picket has been posted at the site to keep curious people at bay.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah is learnt to have directed the district administration to submit a detailed report on the incident. Sources said he had also directed the Endowments Department to reconstruct the structure. Preliminary estimates put the cost of reconstruction at Rs 10 crore.
—Agencies