Karnataka State govt served notice for damage to pillar at Hampi's Virupakeshwar Temple
Nov 13, 2023
Vijayanagara (Karnataka) [India], November 13 : The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials issued notice to Karnataka Endowments department after it was reported that officials of the department nailed down a gate at the north side of the Virupakseshwar Temple in Hampi.
The nails were allegedly dug in to the gate to manage devotees, who typically enter from the south and exit from the north after their darshan, during the visit of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the temple on November 2.
Officials from the ASI issued a notice to Endowment Department officials on November 11 and sought an explanation. 
It has come to the notice of the ASI team that a drilling machine was used on one of the pillars to put in a nail.
The objection primarily stemmed from the lack of permission obtained from the Archaeology Department before installing the gate.
The Department of Archaeology oversees the management of the Virupaksha Temple, and the action of nailing the gate was conducted without their consent.
The Religious Endowments Department, a governmental body, has been allegedly accused of causing damage to the historical monuments.
This incident is concerning, especially as Hampi was enlisted in the World Heritage List in 1986, with the Archaeology Department responsible for the upkeep of 57 monuments in the area.
Photographs of the damaged part in the pillar have been taken for documentation. Hampi falls under the UNESCO Heritage Site list and even the smallest damage to the the heritage monuments is taken seriously.
Virupaksha Temple is the 7th century Shiva temple in Hampi, Central Karnataka. Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Virupaksha Temple complex is surrounded by three gopuras (towers). The main tower, on the east is an imposing structure, 9 stories, 50 meters tall, built in the fifteenth century. Eastern tower forms the main entrance to Virupaksha Temple. Eastern tower has extensive craftsmanship on each of its floors featuring hundreds of Hindu gods and goddesses.
