One cannot miss the 1,000-year-old monument, Kattilmadam, while travelling on the Palakkad-Guruvayur route. Located at Chalippuram, in Nagalasseri panchayat, Palakkad, the edifice, rated as one of the oldest stone temples in Kerala, lies in a state of disrepair.
“As per the land records available, this shrine stood on 71 cents of land but due to encroachments, the monument lost much of its land. The only shrine in Kerala built in the early Chola style, it is losing its original character,” observes S. Hemachandran, former director of the State Archaeology Department. Archaeologists hope to get approval from the Public Works Department to start conservation of this architectural gem. However, they fear that the authorities concerned might demand to relocate the structure — a solution that would irreparably damage its integrity.
Archaeologist H. Sarkar had included the Kattilmadam shrine among the few of the earliest ‘all stone’ structures in a detailed architectural survey of temples of Kerala conducted in 1968-71.
Since the structure is situated on the road, it has been damaged due to the frequent vehicular movement. The temple bears a neglected look with its broken stone walls, the broken ghanadwara on the western side, and the dilapidated slabs that bear the ghanadwara carvings.
Not protected
Kallimadam temple
The Bhitti (walls) are formed by three slabs, one each on all three sides ranging from 22 cm to 25 cm in height. The other two slabs, placed one on top of the other, have a respective height of 53 cm to 58 cm and 69 cm to 71 cm. The height of the interior of the shrine from the floor slab to the roof is around 2.75 metres. Exquisitely crafted flora and fauna decorate the walls. The stone slabs used for the basement and walls have wide gaps between them. The relief sculptures above the wall look eroded. The Archaeology Department has placed a board to indicate that this is a protected monument, but it looks like no efforts have been taken to conserve it. As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, all centuries-old monuments have to be protected.
Stone monuments, made without mortar, brick or wood, were an experiment made by the 6th century Pallava ruler Mahendravarman I. Treasure hunters seem to have scooped out the soil deposited below the floor slab. As in the case of the Chola shrines built prior to 1,000 A.D, this structure is simple in design. Sarkar described it as belonging to the category of shrines called ‘alpa-vimana’.
Says Balachandran, president, Nagalassery panchayat: “If the monument is of great significance, then we need to protect it. Currently, plans are afoot to lay a 10-metre wide road. However, we will try our best to ensure that the shrine is protected.” A decision has to be taken at the government level, according to Promod B, assistant executive engineer, PWD, in the Shoranur range.
“The monument was declared a protected monument in 1976. Road development has since hampered our conservation efforts. A problem that we face now is that revenue authorities are unable to identify the exact land in possession of the shrine before 1976 and the land area encroached since then. Our interest is in protecting the monument in such a way that its context is maintained,” says E. Dinesan, director, State Archaeology Department.
The writer is associate professor of History, SNGS Government College, Pattambi.
