Deplorable condition of Radha Damodar Temple
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Nomita Khongbantabam
Imphal, April 01 2015 :
Temple of Radha Damodar, recently announced as a 'protected monument' by the Archaeological Department, is now in a deplorable condition.
The temple is almost tumbling down now and that people have stopped visiting it.
The Archaeological Department declared the structure as a protected monument in 2004 under the Manipur Ancient & Monuments and Archaeological Sites & Remains Act, 1976 and Rules 1979 .
This brick temple was built by Sanakhya Macha Dijendra Singh, son of Rajkumar Chaobiyaima Singh, father of Churachand Maharaj of Manipur, in 1908 .
The more than one century old structure stands on a high square plinth with steps on all the four cardinal directions.
It consists of 'garbagriha' and 'mukha mandapa' having an outer 'pradakshina path' with an elaborately curved wooden door.
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But now the temple has been left in a ruinous state, although the structure was included in the protected monument list more than one decade ago, Secretary of Temple of Radha Damodar, RK Dayananda told Hueiyen Lanpao on Wednesday.
"The temple is now in unpredictable condition.
It may fall down soon," he cautioned.
Manipur Government representatives have been visiting the temple time and again but unwilling to repair it, Dayananda regretted.
It is now in a derelict condition and hence people have been barred from entering the site, he said.
Dayananda maintained that the severe disrepair of the temple has been developed since the Archaeology Department inserted it in the protected monument.
"It's pointless to keep it as a protected site since the Government is unwilling to repair it," he said.
Historically, the temple is important because Churachand Maharaj once enfolded with it, he added.
"We're not happy with the Government for ignoring the temple," Dayananda said.
He said the Government had recently sanctioned Rs 40,00 for repairing the temple but since then abandoned it after surrounding the structure with wires which were bought for Rs 10,00 .