Reconstruction of two ancient temples in Vellatur, Suryapet district, affected by the Pulichintala project on the Krishna River, has begun after a delay of more than two decades, with the Archaeological Survey of India expecting the work to be completed by March 2027.
The ASI’s Hyderabad circle has taken up the rebuilding of the Sri Chennakesawa Swamy and Sri Shiva temples. The two structures were identified for translocation when the Pulichintala project began in 2004-05, but work on them remained pending while another affected structure, the Sri Shiva Temple at Gundlapally, was reconstructed in 2021-22.
The temples at Vellatur, along with the Gundlapally temple, date from between the 12th and 15th centuries. In 2004, the then undivided Andhra Pradesh government asked the ASI to conduct preliminary explorations to identify antiquities and structures in villages expected to be affected by the project. The exercise led to the identification of the three temples for translocation.
According to Dr Nikhil Das, superintending archaeologist of the ASI’s Hyderabad circle, the delay in starting work on the two Vellatur temples was linked to administrative challenges. The ASI retrieved the records, prepared fresh estimates and obtained a letter of credit from its headquarters before beginning the project, he told Deccan Chronicle.
Basic work has now started at the site, where stone members of the temples had remained stored for several years. Documenting and identifying the individual stone members before reconstruction was one of the main challenges, according to the ASI. Each component is being examined to determine its original position and relationship with other structural elements.
The reconstruction has been designed to retain the architectural character of the temples and conserve their original stonework. The foundation design is based on a geotechnical report submitted by experts from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal. Conservation officials said the work would use lime concrete and proceed layer by layer.
The project has an estimated cost of Rs 1.72 crore. Around Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for resetting the temple structures, while the remaining amount will be used for landscaping and other amenities. Officials said the basic structure was expected to be completed within a month, while the overall work was scheduled for completion before March 2027.
The temples are not under the ASI’s ownership or protection. Once reconstruction is complete, the structures will be handed over to the Telangana government, which will assume responsibility for their subsequent management.
