April 20, 2010

Monuments @ the mercy of granite industries

Lot has been written about the threats to the heritage Jain monuments in the hills of Madurai. Justice was quickly met out - Granite Quarrying can happen but not exactly in the heritage site, just few meters further. What an insightful judgment!
Times of India has a big article condemning this ruthless act.
Jainism was present in the region for over 1,300 years and its relics have survived till now,providing evidence of a rich civilization,culture and academic excellence of a bygone era. But their survival is threatened and they may disappear in the next 100 years due to the quest for granite,he says.The Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department has under its control 16 such monuments,including four Jain caves and four Brahmi culverts in Keelavalavu near Melur,Perumalmalai in Karadipatti and some other places in Madurai,including the one in Thiruvadavur.The site in Thiruvadavur contains Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and prehistoric paintings that date back to the second century BC.Sources in the office of the assistant director,department of archaeology,say that a survey would be conducted within the next two weeks to see if the two granite quarries had exceeded their limits based on the specification of the gazette notification.