ASI removes additional walls inside Hampi’s Virupaksha Temple gopuram

Hampi: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Tuesday (June 2) removed the walls built inside the main gopuram of Virupaksha Temple, where a mantapa was converted into an office.The operation was carried out under the guidance of ASI superintendent K Ramakrishna Reddy. Public and tourist guides welcomed the move.According to Virupakshi V Hampi, general secretary of the State Tourist Guides Association, the mantapa inside the gopuram was originally intended as a resting place for devotees visiting the temple. A Shiva idol is located beside it, but regular abhisheka was not performed there.With the removal of the walls built in addition to the original structure, the mantapa is now visible, and devotees can have darshan of the Shiva idol, said Amaradeep PS, who is interested in monument photography. He thanked the ASI superintendent for addressing a long-pending demand of devotees and tourists.In another development, the premises of the Kari Thiruvengalanatha Temple near the Second Penugonda Gate on the road to Sitarama Tanda were cleaned after the issue was brought to the notice of Shejeshwar, deputy director of the state department of archaeology, museums and heritage.The temple became a gathering spot for drunkards in recent times, according to local residents.The clean-up and restructuring drives have been appreciated by the public.