Some historical monuments at Srisailam are being neglected and proper care needs to be taken immediately, archaeologist and Pleach India Foundation CEO E. Sivanagireddy said. During a visit to the temple town on Wednesday, Mr. Sivanagireddy said he found Telugu and Kannada inscriptions of historical importance neglected.
He told The Hindu that after a thorough survey in and around Srisailam, he had noticed that an inscription with Kannada script on a Nandi pillar located at the Nandi Mandapa opposite Mallikajuna Temple had sunken into the ground, and as a result close to half of the inscriptions was invisible. “Same is the case with another inscription etched in front of the steps leading to Patalaganga, which have been defaced by a thick coat of white paint that concealed part of the script on one side and the other three sides were camouflaged by stone idols and picture frames,” he explained.
The two Kannada inscriptions incised on the natural boulders located to the left side of the Ganga Bhavani Snanaghatta Road have been left uncared for and have no protection. In more grave neglect, the Gollabhama Mandapa, which was dismantled in 1965, had not been reconstructed and its architectural members have been stacked near the Kalyana Katta, Mr. Reddy said.
Mr. Sivanagireddy appealed to the authorities in the State government to immediately restore them to their original state and preserve them for posterity, by removing the paints and also erecting proper pedestals with signages to tell visitors about their historical importance.
