BANGALORE: The State Government is stated to have put pressure on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to get its clearance for the "temporary" installation of the cable car to Vindhyagiri at Shravanabelagola in time for the Mahamasthakabhishekha in February 2006. The coming of the cable car for the ostensible benefit of the aged and physically challenged to reach the hill on which the 17.38 m high monolith Bahubali stands, will mean the end to ASI's plans of seeking the World Heritage tag for Shravanabelagola and the rich archaeological treasure trove.

The past six months has seen a rather one-sided battle between the State Government and the ASI as every attempt of the latter to keep the cable car away from Shravanabelagola has been countered by the State Government.

Historical value

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 states that monuments such as the one in Shravanabelagola are under the protection of ASI, which shall not, however, come in the way of any rituals or religious activities that have been conducted for more than a hundred years. It means the ASI must facilitate the Mahamasthakabhisheka and at the same time ensure that no damage or "interference" with the landscape of the monument takes place that might take away its archaeological or historical value and cause stress to the monument.

Vindhyagiri, which is 141-metre high is also known as Indiragiri or Doddabetta. The pilgrim centre has another hillock, Chandragiri or Chikkabetta, on which there are 13 bastis. The pilgrims have to climb over 500 steps cut in the granite to reach the colossal statue of Gomateshwara on the Vindhyagiri.

In the last four decades, the cable car idea has invariably done the rounds every time the Mahamasthakabhishekha has been held. Debala Mitra, a former Director of ASI, had in the late 1960s drafted the dos and don'ts for such monuments, and had ruled against the idea. She is regarded as an authority on Buddhist and Jain archaeological sites.

None of this appears to have impressed the State Government, which first began harping on the cable car proposal when the preparations for the festival began. The Mahamasthakabhishekha committee "felt the need" for a cable car after announcing that for the first time, the head-anointing ceremony would be held for nine days instead of just one day.

Experts' panel

The Government then set up a three-member committee to examine the suitability of a lift or a cable car. The committee headed by KSRTC Managing Director M.R. Srinivasamurthy then gave the "thumbs-up" for the cable car proposal. The idea was that it would ferry 800 pilgrims every hour; some 30 lakh visitors are expected to converge on Vindhyagiri. It was also to be a permanent facility, attracting hundreds of tourists round the year, ever year until the next Mahamasthakabhishekha. But the ASI turned down the proposal, as it had to protect the aesthetic aspects of the place and ensure the visibility of the statue from a distance of 26 km. However, it did agree to consider a proposal to run a cable car from the western side of the hill.

The ASI set up its own three-member committee which said the cable was a bad idea, legally, aesthetically and in terms of protecting a piece of ancient heritage.

Another proposal

The Government came back with a "scaled-down" proposal — the cable would not go all the way up, but end at Odegallu Basadi, and the remaining one-third distance would have to be covered on foot. It would be a "temporary" measure.

A power-point presentation, with animation and special effects, was made to the experts' committee to persuade the members to change their mind. But some questions remain: whether it is temporary or permanent, the cable system will cost nearly Rs. 10 crores to install. Would the "temporary" status not affect the safety and security of the lakhs of pilgrims flocking to Shravanabelagola?

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail