Site laboratory established on the temple premises
— Photo: S. James
ON THE JOB: N. Selvarehai, Technical Restorer, Regional Conservation Laboratory, Mysore, explains the nature of restoration work to B. Raja, Executive Officer of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple, in Madurai on Tuesday.
MADURAI: A seven-member experts’ team from Regional Conservation Laboratory on Monday began restoration of the 200-year-old paintings at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here.
The Mysore-based laboratory, attached to the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property is the only one in South India recognised to perform such works.
Initial estimate
B. Raja, Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and Executive Officer of the temple, said the Rs.32-lakh project was being funded by the Tourism Department. Restoration of 122 paintings and two murals, copied to canvas (‘khagolam’ and ‘bhugolam’), would be completed in 200 working days. Project Officer and Head of the laboratory B.V. Kharbade had earlier inspected the paintings and given an initial estimate of the work.
N. Selvarehai, Technical Restorer, said a site laboratory had been established on the temple premises.
“A preliminary assessment of the paintings will be carried out in the next few days. The report will be placed before an experts committee, which will be chaired by Dr. Kharbade and temple officials. Further course of action will be decided by the committee.”
Speaking about the nature of work, Mr. Selvarehai said unnecessary material in the painting, which was acidic in nature, would be removed. “We will process the paintings to bring the pH value to neutral (pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity).”
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