Two Indian heritage conservation projects—the Abathsahayeswarar Temple Conservation Project in Thukkatchi, Tamil Nadu, and the BJPCI Conservation Project of Mumbai, Maharashtra—have won UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2024.
Abathsahayeswarar Temple Gets UNESCO Award
Why In News
- Two Indian heritage conservation projects—the Abathsahayeswarar Temple Conservation Project in Thukkatchi, Tamil Nadu, and the BJPCI Conservation Project of Mumbai, Maharashtra—have won UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2024.
- These two heritage conservation projects were among eight from the Asia Pacific region that won the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) announced the award winners at its regional office in Bangkok, Thailand, on 6 December 2024.
Abathsahayeswarar Temple Conservation Project
- Abathsahayeshwarar Temple in Thukkatchi, a 1,300-year-old Chola dynasty structure in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, has gained international recognition by UNESCO’s 2023 Award of Distinction for its exceptional conservation efforts.
- The temple was constructed by Kings Vikrama Chola and Kulothunga Chola and featured five prakarams or enclosures. The village was known as Vikrama Chozheeswaram and Kulothunga Chola Nallur. Kulothunga Chola established the idol for Aadhi Sarabeshwarar. The temple houses many deities, including Soundaryanayaki Ambal and Ashtabhuja Durga Parameshwari.
- Temple priest K. Ramkumar Gurukkal said that the temple had several shrines for deities, including Soundaryanayaki Ambal, Ashtabhuja Durga Parameshwari, Aadhi Sarabeshwarar, Pillayar, Murugan, Chandikeswarar, two Bhairavars, two Suryas and two Naagar.
- “The village was known as Vikrama Chozheeswaram and Kulothunga Chola Nallur. It was Kulothunga who was the first to establish an idol for Sarabeshwarar, which is why this deity is called Aadhi Sarabeshwarar,” he explained.
- Official sources in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department said that the award was as part of UNESCO Asia – Pacific Awards for cultural heritage conservation.
- “The temple was in a bad shape. We have restored two prakarams by removing plants, trees, ensured strength of structures and painted gopurams. Nobody knew when the last kumbhabhishekam was conducted. We performed the consecration after the restoration in September 2023,” explained an official.
- “The revival of the Abathsahayeshwarar Temple in Tamil Nadu has breathed new life to a once abandoned religious site, employing an interdisciplinary methodology which connects modern conservation science with traditional construction practices.
- In this spirit, engineering expertise and the knowhow of Hindu temple builders, sthapathi, were applied in structural conservation and renewal of decorative works in keeping with vernacular artisanal traditions. Sthapathis are skilled temple builders in India. They ensure structural integrity and decorative details in temple restoration. Their expertise preserves artisanal traditions in Hindu architecture.
- The pedagogical aspiration of the project in establishing guidelines for the restoration of historic living Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu is praiseworthy. Significant support from both the government and devotees has enabled the continuity of this historic temple in a modern-day devotional context,” said UNESCO in a document.
- Minister for HR&CE P K. Sekarbabu said the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who was particularly interested in conserving heritage and ancient temples, said that he had granted a subsidy of ₹100 crore per year to restore and renovated temples over 1000 years old.
- “More such temples have been identified and work is under way to renovate these without making any changes to the basic characteristics,” he said.
Award of Merit for BJPCI Conversation Project
- BJPCI (Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution) Conservation project bagged the Merit Award of UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2024.
- The BJPCI school building, built in 1908 in Gothic style, is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was built to promote education amongst the economically weaker sections of society. The restoration work was done during the school’s two-month summer break.
UNESCO
- UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is a United Nations Agency set up 16 November 1945.
- UNESCO’s mission- build a culture of peace, eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
- Members:195 Members and 8 Associate Members
- Headquarters: Paris, France
