HUBBALLI: The villagers in Varur of Dharwad have joined hands to restore a 500-year-old temple which is lying in dilapidated condition since many decades. On the account of World Heritage Week 2021, the villagers finsihed the partial restoration of the temple which stands in the middle of Varur village.
The site is located about 18 km from city centre of Hubballi and the villagers are now demanding the government to intervene and restore the temple to its original glory.
The temple has a deity of Siddarameshwara and has unique pillars in the middle of the temple. For years the temple premises was used as storage place for agricultural goods and other grains but now the temple is regaining its old shape, thanks to the work of villagers.
Pavan Miskin, a social activist and resident of Varur village said that the villagers have requested the Panchayat to appoint a committee to take up restoration work of Siddarameshwara temple. "For very long, the beautiful temple has been neglected by authorities and villagers. There are several stone insciptions that are fallen in different sites around the temple. We request the authorities to collect them and restore back to the temple area. We also demand a secured compund for the temple," he said.
The temple is located right behind the Panchayat office. Last week, a team of villagers took up cleaning and removed the weeds that were grown around the temple. The temple pillars were cleanred too. The villagers say that there are several monuments and sculptures which are lying unattended and government must restore them to ensure the heritage of this is village is safegaurded.
"The village is closely located with a city centre and many families are involved in successful agriculture. The village is famous for its agrilctural produce and also its proxility with Hubballi. But sadly the real history of this village is still unknown. If the authorities take steps to decode the stone inscriptions that are lying around temple, some parts of history of this village can be traced back," said a villager from Varur.
Swaminathan Natarajan, a history enthusiast, pointed out that several temples and monuments in north Karnataka needs urgent attention. "Number of beautiful sculptures, inscriptions and monuments are lying unattended in Dharwad, Davanagere and Haveri districts. The government must take steps to document and also restore them," he suggested.