Madhya Pradesh gets Rs 175 crore from Centre to conserve monuments

Madhya Pradesh gets Rs 175 crore from Centre to conserve monuments

by Rageshri Ganguly, TNN | Aug 17, 2012, 04.11PM IST


BHOPAL: The 13th Finance Commission has sanctioned Rs 175 crore for preservation of Madhya Pradesh's archaeological monuments. The funds will be utilised for preservation and augmentation of state's archaeological monuments. Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma disclosed this while releasing book "The Grandeur of Granite Shiv-Yogini temples of Vyas Bhadora" at Swaraj Bhavan on Thursday. It has been written by senior administrative officer Ashok Shah.

The Culture Minister said that efforts will be made to project temple complexes of Vyas Bhadora and Ashapuri on the world tourism map which are being renovated currently. Besides these temples, detailed project reports (DPR) are also being prepared for other monuments' development. Lauding works of Ashok Shah, Sharma said that the department will keep seeking his cooperation. Sharma said that the most striking feature of Vyas Bhadora temples is that they have been constructed with granite.

Writer of the book Shah informed that village Vyas Bhadora is situated in Chandla sub-tehsil of Chhatarpur district. Two out of 13 temple complexes were declared as state-protected monuments by the State Government in the year 1990. It is evident from architecture that temples of Vyas Bhadora were built before Khajuraho temples.

Temple number 1 and 2 are built on high elevation, face east and are dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is perhaps the first temple complex which has staircases on three sides. Construction of temples with hard granite would have caused hard labour. That is perhaps why later the Chandel kings did not construct any granite temple. Temples of Vyas Bhadora are the first link in the story of temple architecture of Chandels.

The book is spread over four chapter including preface, historical facts, chronology of temple construction and information about art of sculpture. The book also contains 71 multi-colour photographs. Director Sports Shailendra Shrivastava and Director Culture Shriram Tiwari were also present on the occasion.