TIRUPATI, INDIA, October 24, 2019 (The Hindu): The renovation of a temple “acquired” by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has reportedly not gone well with archaeologists and heritage lovers, who find it “blatant defacing” of the ancient structure. Nestling under the Chandragiri hillock, less than two-thirds of a mile from the famed fort of the Vijayanagara kings, the 16th Century Sri Kodandarama Temple is a remnant of the bygone era’s architectural splendour. With development around, it is today located in the heart of Chandragiri, 9 miles from Tirupati.
The temple is believed to have been built during the fag end of Vijayanagara era, when the kingdom was on the verge of collapse. The TTD took over the temple four years back, but in the garb of development, its engineering wing whitewashed the entire structure. The several layers of thick coat of limestone made the sharply etched sculpture of divine characters go dull or flat. The temple with high heritage value was allegedly not handled with due seriousness. Luckily, the Vimanam — the canopy atop the sanctum sanctorum — has been left untouched, where one can see the images of Maha Vishnu’s avatars. Though the temple falls very much in Chandragiri fort’s ecosystem, it is somehow not covered under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and as such is unprotected.