Vijayawada: 13th century inscriptions lying in utter neglect
Sambhulingeswara temple at Nawabpet village
Vijayawada: Archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation Dr E Sivanagi Reddy urged the State government to preserve and protect the sunken 13th century inscriptions and sculptures of Sambhulingeswara temple at Nawabpet village in Penuganchiprolu mandal of NTR district.
He visited the temple on Friday as part of the awareness campaign called 'Preserve Heritage for Posterity' launched by Pleach India Foundation and noticed that four inscriptions of the Kakatiya period and one Nandi sculpture that were sunken into the ground.
He said that the historically important inscriptions are white-washed with lime many a time resulting in the letters in the slabs illegible.
Dr Reddy revealed that the temple was built by the Natavadi chiefs, subordinates of the Kakatiyas who ruled from Gudimetta in typical Kakatiya style and issued inscriptions recording gift of lands for its maintenance.
Dr Sivanagi Reddy made an appeal to the temple authorities and the local community to rescue the inscriptions and sculptures of Ganesa and Nandi by erecting them on proper pedestals with signage on the historical contents of the inscriptions buried and cleaning the white wash with chemicals so that the future generations could read them and know the history of their own place.