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RAMESWARAM, TAMIL NADU, June 10, 2002: The ancient Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram, an island on the southernmost tip of Tamil Nadu, stands where Hindu pilgrims from across the country seek to wash away their sins in the 22 wells (teerthas) that dot its corridors. Not many bother to stop by and look at what’s happened over the years to the legendary third corridor, the longest in India –1.2 km and 1,212 pillars — built between 1740 and 1770. Tourism brochures still vouch for the 12th century temple’s “magnificent corridors and massive sculptured pillars. Over the years, salty sea breeze had been eating into the limestone pillars. So, its executive officer, a state government employee, simply decided to plaster them with cement. Muthaiah Sthapathi, HR&CE department’s official consultant, says he was not aware of this ‘Operation Cement.’ “Restoration using local masons is unacceptable. Good sculptors/sthapathis must supervise such operations. The whitewashing is also wrong.” Sandblasting is the other major threat. Muthaiah is against the use of this technique — sand at high pressure is directed at the surface in combination with air or water. It destroys the fine details.

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