VISAKHAPATNAM: One year on and the minor repairs required on the limestone idol of Sri Varahalakshmi Nrisimha Swami in Simhachalam have still to be carried out.
Devotees regularly having a darshan of the idol in its "nija rupa" over the last few years noticed the alteration in its countenance.
As the issue was very sensitive, the Endowments Department of the State Government did not initiate any action. And even now, no official is forthcoming on whether any action would be taken.
Last year, “The New Indian Express’’ published an exclusive on the issue. In response to the story, the then Endowments Commissioner Sundar Kumar told ``Express’’ he was aware of the changes in the idol and that he would constitute a committee to study the factors that had caused a “slight disfiguration’’ but nothing has happened.
The statue of Lord Nrisimha Swami of Simhachalam temple is always covered in 500 kg of sandalwood paste throughout the year. It is only on one day, Vaisakha Suddha Tadiya -- and that too for just 12 hours -- that the cover is removed and fresh sandalwood paste applied.
The idol of the Lord here was found by King Pururava, and the temple which he built is among the most ancient housing the deity in the tri-rupa (human, lion and boar) representation.
The paste is removed by blindfolded temple priests. According to tradition, the Pusapati Rajas of Vizianagaram Fort have the first darshan and currently the distinction belongs to Trust Board Chairman Pusapati Ananda Gajapathi Raju. Temple sources said that during the removal of the sandalwood paste, a silver spoon is used and the scraping could have damaged the idol. Also, in the absence of abhishekams -- with the preservative qualities of honey, coconut water, milk, curd and ghee prescribed by the Hindu scriptures -- some changes could have taken place.
Though the office of the Commissioner of Endowments and the Devasthanam Board have received a number of requests to set up a committee to come up with measures to conserve the idol, the Government has not responded so far. And it appears that the media has had to pay, in a way, for highlighting the issue, with the temple management restricting its entry during Chandana Yatra this year.
