Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Bhavani Shankar Temple restoration under way

Staff Correspondent

Directorate of Archaeology given Rs. 50 lakh to conserve seven monuments

RESTORING A MONUMENT: H.S. Ratnakar, Director of Archaeology and Museums (left) inspecting the work at Bhavani Shankar Temple in Hubli on Tuesday.

HUBLI: The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums has sought Rs. 4.5 crore for conservation and restoration of 20 historical monuments under the "Suvarna Karnataka" scheme.

Director of Archaeology and Museums H.S. Ratnakar told The Hindu on Tuesday during his visit to the ancient Bhavani Shankar Temple in Old Hubli, where restoration work is under progress, that the directorate had been given Rs. 50 lakh for conservation of seven temples and monuments. Work on the conservation of the seven monuments was nearing completion, he said.

Mr. Ratnakar said many of the 20 monuments would be destroyed if the restoration work was not taken up immediately. He said under the 12th Plan, the Rs. 15 crore would be released for the conservation of temples within four years and Rs. 5 crore for conservation and development of museums. Under the 12th Plan, conservation work on 36 temples and monuments had been approved, he said.

Under the State funds, the department would be spending Rs. 1.25 crore this year for conservation of monuments and construction of new buildings for relocating museums, Mr. Ratnakar said.

Assistance

Mr. Ratnakar said beginning 2002, the directorate, in association with Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Dharmotthana Trust and local organisations, had taken up more than 44 restoration projects till 2004-05. In 2005-06 and 2006-07, 26 projects had been taken up, he said.

Under this "partnership scheme" for projects of up to Rs. 12.5 lakh, the department and the trust would bear 40 per cent each of the cost and the remaining 20 per cent would be borne by the local organisation or committee which had taken interest in the restoration work. However, for projects above Rs. 12.5 lakh, the share of the department and the trust would be restricted to Rs. 5 lakh each. The remaining amount had to be mobilised by the local committees, he said.

Mr. Ratnakar said the restoration of Bhavani Shankar Temple in Old Hubli involved an expenditure of approximately Rs. 16 lakh.

The Government and the trust had released their share and the local Sri Bhavanishankar Mattu Narayanadeva Trust had contributed Rs. 3 lakh.

The restoration work was nearing completion and the local trust was mobilising the remaining amount for the work, he said.

Mohammed Rafiq Santebeenur, engineer in-charge of the restoration work, office-bearers of the local trust R.K. Desai, L.K. Laxmeshwar, and Pandurangi accompanied the director during his visit to the temple.

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