Thursday, Jun 16, 2005
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005 |
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Karnataka
R. Krishna Kumar
POETRY IN STONE: A file picture of the Chennakeshava Temple at Belur.
MYSORE: The majestic statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola and the architectural splendour of structures at Belur and Halebid described as "poetry in stone" are in the race for the UNESCO's World Heritage Site status. S.V.P. Halakatti, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Bangalore Circle, told The Hindu that the monuments have been listed by them for nomination. "It (nomination) is a lengthy and a time-consuming process, but we are optimistic that it will through in a few years from now," he said. But this is subject to the Union Government approving the sites and submitting it to the UNESCO. There are over 3,600 ASI-protected sites across the country, some of which are also in the race for the World Heritage Site tag. The process is elaborate and time consuming and only the Government can nominate the sites for the World Heritage status. The short-listed sites then undergo technical evaluation by a team of international specialists. who visit the venue and ascertain the monuments for their cultural and heritage values. The parameters are provided by the International Council on Monuments and Sites for man-made structures and the World Conservation Union for natural sites.
Tallest
The statue of Gomateshwara is the world's tallest monolithic structure, measuring nearly 58 ft. in height and is over 1,000 years old. It comes alive in all its glory during the Mahamastakabhisheka held once in 12 years and it is a symbol of India's national cultural heritage that draws Jains and people of all communities from across the world. The temple at Belur, conceived by Vishunvardhana of the Hoysala dynasty and designed by Jakkannachari in the 12th century, and the impressive structures at Halebid have been described as "poetry in stone" by art historians such as Percy Brown and Fergusson and occupy the pride of place in the temple architecture of South India.
Other sites
The World Heritage tag is accorded by the UNESCO to monuments of outstanding value to humanity to ensure their conservation. It calls for inculcating scientific conservation practices that do not compromise with the integrity of the structures, natural or man-made. While the tag helps secure international publicity and attention to the monuments, it is also perceived to encourage community participation in cultural conservation. The Government is also entailed to provide a detailed conservation plan for the monument during the nomination process. The other World Heritage Sites in Karnataka are the group of monuments at Hampi and Pattadakal which are among 26 World Heritage Sites in India. The ASI is set to provide tourist amenities in all its sites in Karnataka and is installing optical fibre lighting system at a few monuments, including at the Vittala temple at Hampi at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.5 crore, while new signages etched in stone, have been installed at Hampi and Srirangapatna.
Lightning conductors
The state-of-the-art lightning conductors will be installed at all sites where monuments have a vertical profile. This includes the Gomateshwara statue, the Sriranganatha temple and Daria Daulat at Srirangapatna, the Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple atop the hill at Melkote, Tipu Sultan's Palace in Bangalore, and the five heritage sites belonging to the Hampi group of monuments, among others. The ASI is also exploring the possibility of providing remote operated audio kits in some of the more prominent sites in Karnataka. These kits have been tested for fort tours by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, according to Mr. Halakatti. The technology is similar to the one likely to be introduced in Mysore Palace wherein the visitors wear the equipment that has a headphone to it and which on approaching a specific spot, triggers the sensors and activates the recorded audio that gives elaborate description of the place.
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