Chozha-era Ramayana miniatures at Kumbakonam Nageswaran Temple damaged due to negligence by HR&CE

The Nageswarar Temple in Kumbakonam is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which was built during the early Chozha era.

It was constructed by Aditya Chozha, the son of Vijayalaya Chozha, during the 9th century. It is one of the many ‘Paadal Pettra Sthalam’, (the temples that are revered in the verses of Saiva Tirumurais by the Nayanmars).

The temple today comes under the control of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department.

The temple has exquisite carvings depicting stories of Ramayana, Mahabharat and other Hindu epics.

However, these have now been vulnerable to damage due to the negligence of the HR&CE administration.

Temple activist TR Ramesh had shared an image in which some of the carvings were found damaged. In another picture, asbestos sheets can be seen rubbing against a fine sculpture of a chariot wheel with a rope being tied on the wheel axle of the stone wheel.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.