Adilabad: Unique stone used for renovation of Nagoba temple

According to the 38-year-old sculptor, the Nagoba temple was the last shrine to be constructed with the red stone since the site of the stone was leased out to a private agency.

Adilabad: The renovated Nagoba temple was built with a unique red stone or ‘Thalamanchi Patnam rayi’, used in the construction of many temples built during the regime of Sri Krishna Devaraya, who ruled over the Vijayanagara Empire in 1500 AD.

“The unique yet exquisite stone was used in the construction of popular temples at Hampi, Ahobilam, Vontimitta and Mahanandi towns in Andhra Pradesh and Ramappa in Warangal of Telangana. The specialty of the rock is that it typically appears in three different colours such as red, yellow and white matching the hues of the sun rays in a day,” Talari Ramesh, the sculptor of the temple told ‘Telangana Today.’

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Ramesh, who was roped in by the Endowments Department to build the shrine, said the stone was imported from Talamanchi Patnam village in Jammalamadugu mandal in Kadapa of Andhra Pradesh. Ramesh and his team of 50 workers spent two years sculpting the pillars, poles, sanctum sanctorum, and other structures of the shrines.

Hailing from Allagadda in Nandyal district in the neighbouring state, Ramesh disclosed that they chiselled out the shapes of snakes, distinct culture and lifestyle on the stones.
Nagoba is the last temple

According to the 38-year-old sculptor, the Nagoba temple was the last shrine to be constructed with the red stone since the site of the stone was leased out to a private agency. He said the stone structures were carved in Allagadda and then transported to Keslapur.

Meanwhile, Mesram Manohar, one of the members of the renovation committee, said about 2,000 members of the Boigota Mesram clan contributed between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to raise funds of Rs.5 crore to rebuild the shrines. While farmers donated Rs.5,000 for five years, public representatives donated Rs.7,500 and government employees gave Rs.10,000, he said.