Karnataka: Hampi temple clerk suspended over damage to pillar, negligence of duty

The action was taken after the archaeological survey of India (ASI) raised objections on the damage done to one of the pillars of the Hampi Virupaksha temple

The state religious endowments department has suspended Hampi Virupaksha temple clerk BG Srinivas on charges of damaging ancient temple pillar, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The clerk of Hampi Virupaksha temple was suspended due to negligence of duty and damage to the monument. (AFP)

According to officials, the ancient monument, listed under Unesco world heritage site, got damaged after nail hammered into on of the pillar. In a misguided attempt to install a gate at the northern entrance, pillars were drilled and iron nails were hammered into the temple, resulting in damage to the monuments.

BG Srinivas, the temple clerk at Hampi, was suspended by the assistant commissioner of Hindu religious endowments. The department of religious endowments had undertaken the installation of a gate on the two pillars of the northern gate without obtaining the necessary permission from the department of Indian archaeology, leading to objections from the latter, the officials said.

The Sri Virupaksha Temple, considered the lifeblood of Hampi, holds immense mythological and historical significance. The temple’s monuments are under the custody of the archaeological survey of India (ASI). However, the department of religious endowments, entrusted with the temple’s protection, reportedly damaged the pillars during the unauthorized gate installation.

The incident has sparked concerns among devotees and heritage enthusiasts, leading to demands for appropriate action against those responsible for the damage. The ASI had issued a notice regarding the unauthorized work, emphasizing that the religious endowment department’s role is limited to puja and renovation activities.

“Followed by the notice from ASI, we initiated a probe and found that the pillar of ancient monument was nailed, which was a negligence of duty by clerk BG Srinivas. Hence, the department suspended him from service," Hindu religious department assistant commissioner B Gangadharappa told HT. He said prima facie we found the hole in ancient temple pillar hence initiated action and further probe is underway.