Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi 2009 Annual Progress Report Date: January 2009 Project Site: Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi World Heritage Site, Karnataka, INDIA Project Director: Abha Narain Lambah Project Team Members: Mr. Sudhir Deshpande Structural Engineer, Dr. Thippeyswamy Site Archaeologist, Abhijit Ekbote, Ms. Kruti Garg, Jiten Desai - Architects assisting Ms. Abha Narain Lambah Project Partners: Hampi Foundation & JSW Foundation Project Contact Information: [email protected]Abha Narain Lambah ___________ ________________________ Project Director Date:____________________ Date:____________________
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Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
2009 Annual Progress Report Date: January 2009 Project Site: Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi World Heritage Site, Karnataka, INDIA Project Director: Abha Narain Lambah Project Team Members: Mr. Sudhir Deshpande Structural Engineer, Dr. Thippeyswamy Site Archaeologist, Abhijit Ekbote, Ms. Kruti Garg, Jiten Desai - Architects assisting Ms. Abha Narain Lambah Project Partners: Hampi Foundation & JSW Foundation Project Contact Information: [email protected] Abha Narain Lambah ___________ ________________________ Project Director Date:____________________ Date:____________________
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
Executive Summary The restoration of Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi is the first pilot project in
Karnataka for the restoration of a State Protected Monument in the Hampi UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Undertaken through an MOU signed between the Government of
Karnataka and the Hampi Foundation (that is partnering with GHF in the project) in 2006,
this is a pioneering initiative of public private partnership by the Government of
Karnataka.
This pioneering model of an Indian and International NGO working in tandem with the
Karnataka Government towards establishing best practices for restoration and
conservation of a cultural property and heritage site is meant to serve as a pilot project
for future restoration projects in the area by setting an example through high standards
of conservation practice following internationally accepted principles of conservation.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
Summary of Work: Planned and Completed 1. Master Conservation / Management Planning
The Conservation Masterplan for the entire site that consists of a 15th Century Shiva Temple on a river island in the Tungabhadra river, was prepared in 2004 by Abha Narain Lambah Associates: Conservation Architects & Historic Building Consultants for GHF and the Hampi Foundation and submitted to the Government of Karnataka. A season of archaeological exploration was conducted under Dr. Balasubramaniya in 2005 and in 2006 the Government of Karnataka signed a MoU with the Hampi Foundation, GHF’s partner on the project. The works began on site in January 2006 and the initial mobilization works of setting up a site office, providing support bracings and shoring for the temple proper and embankment walls were undertaken in the first half of 2007. The work on the consolidation of the upper embankment wall was undertaken in year 2009 to stabilize the temple.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
2. Site Conservation & Documentation Where as the architectural team prepared detailed numbering drawings of each stone element, the day to day recording was maintained by the site archaeologist. Where as the architectural drawings and structural drawings are prepared by the conservation architects and structural engineer and issued to site, the site archaeologists continued to be present on site on a day to day basis for reporting of site work and archaeological documentation. Dr. Thippeyswamy continued to be on site who has been familiar with the site excavations and conditions and his scope of work outlined with a clear mandate to maintain a daily log book on site, record all archaeological finds and document this thoroughly. Apart from the visits undertaken by the Project Architect and Structural Engineer at various stages of the project, in May 2009, to ensure better site co-ordination, two full time site architects were appointed; Mr. Jiten Desai and Mr. Manan Soni were stationed on site in addition to Dr. Thippeyswamy. The Architects on site along with Mr. Thippeyswamy, the site archeologist documented the upper embankment and the lower embankment sequentially also cross verifying the quantity of new stones used on site and marking them on the drawing.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
2. Site Conservation & Implementation The major thrust of the works in 2009 season of March to August 2009 has been the consolidation of the upper embankment wall and lower embankment wall. This was done with a view to stabilize the temple as the shifting embankment wall had caused severe cracking and stresses in the temple with adequate propping.
1. The work beyond the 45 m stretch continued on the upper embankment wall using the original stone material found on site and that no new stone has been introduced into this section of work so the original stones were numbered and reset. The stabilization of the stone retaining walls was imperative for the structural integrity of the site as it was found necessary to establish the geo technical stability of the site by ensuring the structural stability of the two retaining walls. For the lower embankment wall, a geo-grid was established at every course to structurally consolidate the lower retaining wall. The consolidation work was completed without any mortar/concrete introduction so as to keep the material integrity of the structure as a dry masonry construction.
2. The work of the lower embankment was completed pre monsoons and in the site inspection made by the Structural Consultant and the Architectural team, it was found that the work of the lower embankment stabilization had withstood the worst flooding in Karnataka in decades.
Top: South East corner Lower & Upper Embankment Walls 2005; Bottom: South East corner Lower & Upper
Embankment walls in November 2009
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
Jan to Feb 2009: 1. Investigations around the upper embankment area The team found another plinth like setting indicating some sort of a paving or a platform indicating a connection from the platform leading to the entrance of the temple. This was an interesting development, raising issues that suggest a possible linkage between the bridge and east face of temple
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
March – April 2009:
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
April - May 2009:
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
June – August 2009:
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
September - October 2009:
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
November 2009:
Top: South East corner Lower & Upper Embankment Wall 2005; Bottom: South East corner Lower & Upper Embankment wall in November 2009.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
November 2009:
Top: Images of South East corner Upper Embankment Wall 2005 and 2007 ; Bottom: South East corner upper Embankment wall in November 2009.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
November 2009: The upper embankment wall works were also inspected and the Architect again repeated her instructions to the Contractor to correct the South ¼ th stretch of the East Facing Upper Embankment wall to the header stretcher pattern visible in the lowest extant plinth course and to follow the same construction methodology as seen in the original wall. The Contractors assured the Architects that this would be taken up within 15 days of the receipt of the payment due to them from Hampi Foundation. The Architect reiterated the need for urgently correcting this stretch of masonry work. It was discussed that at this stage of Certification, Rs. 110 lacs work was now certified for payment. This in a sense closed 1st Phase funding work. For further work at site, additional funds would need to be made available by GHF and Hampi Foundation to undertake the following works that the Consultants felt were necessary for the proper completion of work:
a. Stabilization of soil and soil fill at lower embankment platform to allow proper site slopes for drainage of water since currently, after consolidation, the lower embankment wall level is higher than the platform soil. A properly graded fill of murrum and metal of 250mm to 100 mm grade would be needed with proper slopes from SE corner of the lower platform towards NE section of the site.
b. The Structural Engineer also suggested the use of a geo grid laid beneath granite paver stones laid along the lower embankment wall for better consolidation of the earth and soil stabilization.
c. The Consultants also noted that raising the level of the east landing platform that has been discovered on site in line with the stone bridge would be advisable so that in the soil fill this is again not lost. The platform could be raised in 3‐4 stone courses following the construction technique of the extant stone courses to bring it to the level of the soil fill.
d. The Return wall on the upper NE corner of the site towards the upper mandapa would be necessary to hold the soil at the upper level.
e. Resetting of mandapa stones may be taken up in Phase 2 f. What would also be highly recommended would be the replacement of the ad
hoc and rather monstrous addition of corrugated sheet roofing supported on metal sections that fronts the Hanuman ashram on the site. The consultants consulted with the Swamiji at the Ashram and obtained his agreement to removing this incongruous addition and replacing the covered verandah with a more appropriate thatch roof structure more in keeping with the ambience of an ashram.
g. It was critical to now monitor the Main Temple Proper over a period of some months to see if there are any stresses active and if the cracks are widening. The Consultants instructed the Contractors to monitor 6 main cracking patterns in the temple with a system of calibrated guage readings to monitor the movements. This was to be done immediately without delay.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
Completion Drawings showing highlighted stones (red) which are new:
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
East face upper embankment wall New stone being used in the East face upper embankment wall 92.13 cu m Old Stone being reused in the East face upper embankment wall 315.66 cu m Therefore roughly 22% of new stone has been introduced in the resetting of the East face upper embankment wall Lower embankment wall New stone being used in the East face upper embankment wall is estimated to be less than 10% Therefore roughly 15% new stone is estimated to be introduced in the resetting of the East face upper and lower embankment walls
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
4. Community Development The local community has benefited from the project through employment on the site. The local boatmen get daily employment as the project team are ferried up and down the river on coracle boats. Local stone masons, craftsmen and labour have been employed on site. The other group of stakeholders are the religious pilgrims and the religious sadhus living in the ashram on the site, who have benefited by the steps leading up to the temple being reset and therefore making it easier for them to access the ashram.
Chandramauleshwar Temple, Anegundi, Hampi
Challenges 1. Problematic Issues & Potential Solutions The Site access, has been a major challenge and the location of the site on a river island, only accessible by basket boats has been the greatest challenge in order to transport material and tools to site. The other issue, again related to the location of the site, is the issue of constant flooding between August and September, when work on site comes to a standstill each year as the site is flooded and the river is in spate.
The Project Director took the picture above left on 12th August after the Site Inspection. On the next morning, the entire site (pictures above right and below) was flooded as the monsoon water was released from the Tungabhadra Dam on account of heavy rains and the entire river was in spate. The entire trolley track was submerged in the river for the next 2 months making the site completely inaccessible.
