Restoring heritage through temple care in Andhra Pradesh

Guvvalakunta, a sleepy village with a population of over 4,000 in the Nandyal district, woke up to a buzz on the morning of December 15, 2024, when over 100 people clad in traditional attire entered and unassumingly began cleaning its centuries-old stepwell.

Located 60 km away from the district headquarters, the journey to the village is nearly two hours long, and one has to drive through the dense Nallamala forest ranges of the Atmakur division

Not many in Guvvalakunta, especially the youth, knew about the historical significance of the dilapidated stepwell in their village or were aware of the treasure trove of art and heritage it quietly safeguarded over the years.

The volunteers of the ‘Mana Ooru – Mana Gudi – Mana Badhyatha’ (Our Village – Our Temple – Our Responsibility) community initiative became aware of the neglected stepwell when a history enthusiast’s social media post about it received a response from Minister Nara Lokesh.

“It’s our collective responsibility to safeguard our cultural legacy and historical treasures. We’re committed to restoring this magnificent well to its former glory and ensuring its preservation for future generations,’’ Lokesh said.

“When our team visited the village, the stepwell was in a poor condition. Garbage, empty liquor bottles and plastic waste were discarded there. We understood that it was not an easy task to clean it,’’ Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Nandyal chapter convenor M.V. Shivakumar Reddy recalls.

Shivakumar, the Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories by profession, is the brain behind the community initiative, which has made its mission to restore and revive old and neglected temples in the State since its inception on May 12, 2022.

“After clearing the garbage and pumping out the water, we were astonished to find beautiful sculptures that were carved on the walls of the well. We uncovered sculptures of various Indian dance forms and artists playing musical instruments,’’ Shivakumar says.

Later, the volunteers learnt that the water from the stepwell was used to perform the ‘Abhishekam’ ritual in the local Lord Shiva temple in the olden days. The sculptures of the ‘Dasavatarams’ (the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu) presented themselves as the volunteers went deeper to clean the well, and later, they learned that an idol of a peacock was stolen by treasure hunters even as the well was abandoned decades ago after the farmer on whose land it exists ignored it.

“Temple cleansing gives us spiritual satisfaction. Cleaning and restoring the stepwells and temple ponds is also spiritually rewarding even as it helps us bring the cultural legacy of the place back to light,’’ he says.

The voluntary initiative, with over 1,100 members, has cleaned 124 temples, including prominent ones like the Kanchi, Abhobilam, Arunachalam, Srisailam, Mantralayam, Kasapuram Anjaneya Swamy, and the nine Nandi temples in Nandyal, he says. They began cleaning the Pradama Nandi temple in Nandyal. “When I got the idea of cleaning and restoring old temples, I asked about 100 of my friends and colleagues. At least 70 of them said they would join, but only 13 turned up on the day,’’ he recalls.

Shivakumar also recalls that cleaning Prahlada Varada Koopam at Bachepally near Abhobilam in the district was another great experience for the team. “Like any other temple pond or a well, this place was littered with garbage and plastic waste. But after cleaning it, we discovered a magnificent structure,’’ he says.

“The well has holes specially designed for the snakes to slither out when people enter it to draw water. After we cleaned the well, the locals have begun to maintain it properly,” he says.

The volunteers of ‘Mana Ooru—Mana Gudi—Mana Badhyatha’ come from all walks of life—doctors, software engineers, students, and youth—and from various places like Nandyal, Kurnool, Hyderabad, and Tenali.

Special bond

Among them is 69-year-old J. Karthiki, the Head of the Department of Gynaecology at Nandyal-based Dr. Shantiram Hospitals. “I was part of the team that cleaned several temples, ponds and stepwells. Initially, I hesitated to get into the stepwell at Ahobhilam. Still, seeing the enthusiasm of the others joining the initiative, I was inspired to even climb down the temple ponds and clean them,’’ she says.

Dr. Karthiki adds that initiatives like theirs go a long way in preserving our culture and rich heritage. “Not just providing education, but we also have to safeguard and pass on our culture and heritage to the future generations,” she adds.

She was a part of the 100-odd volunteers who cleaned the Kanchi Kamakshi temple in Kancheepuram of Tamil Nadu. “The temple pond was full of shrubs and bushes. We removed three truckloads of garbage from it,’’ she says.

She adds that it has now become a regular activity for her to participate in the temple cleaning rituals. “Sunday is a holiday for me. Instead of sitting at home and watching television, participating in this kind of activity keeps my mind fresh,’’ she said.

The volunteers also share a special bond after collectively participating in the temple cleansing activities over the years. “We plan our activity meticulously and in advance. The local teams would visit where we plan to take up our cleaning activity and assess the number of volunteers needed. Later, we fix a day and reach the spot in advance. We provide accommodation to all those visiting from other places,’’ Shivakumar says.

Dr. Karthiki adds that participating in the activity and having lunch together helped the volunteers develop a bond with each other. “We volunteer to serve food and clear the plates after the volunteers eat,’’ she adds.

A. Shankar Reddy, a 65-year-old retired employee from Nandyal, says they are happy to be a part of an activity that protects and preserves the place’s rich culture and history.

“We now see more youth joining our activities. When we cleaned the Srisailam hill shrine and the pond there, nearly 40 software engineers from Hyderabad joined us,’’ he says.

Inspired by this community initiative, we now started cleaning the smaller local temples once every 10 days, says Shankar, the retired Deputy General Manager of Vijaya Dairy.

Shankar, who, along with some members of the organisation, went to Prayagraj to participate in the cleaning of ghats at the Mahakumbh Mela on February 5, says they experienced a positive feeling while participating in temple cleaning. “This kind of activity should be taken up in every village to protect and preserve our values and culture,’’ he asserts.

A peek into history

The organisation’s latest activity was at Srisailam, where the volunteers cleaned the temple town on the first day and the Enugu (Elephant) Cheruvu near the Sri Bhramarambha temple on the second day.

“To our astonishment, we found a well within the Enugu Cheruvu from where water was oozing,’’ Shivakumar says. Once called the Bogavati Cheruvu, the well got its name ‘Enugu Cheruvu’ after elephants began to visit the lake to bathe. It is said that the Nallamala forests used to be an elephant habitat once. There is evidence that elephants were used to lift heavy stones to construct the Srisailam temple, says Shivakumar.

The members will contribute the tools and equipment needed for cleaning and the expenses for serving lunch, accommodation, and other facilities. “Some contributed for gloves, some for the required machinery, and sometimes, even local hotels came forward to provide us food. We are now a family of more than 1,000, and we will continue to serve our temples and bring to light the glorious and rich heritage that is neglected and left abandoned in the stepwells and ponds,’’ Shivakumar says.

The volunteer initiative, however, called for more participation from people to preserve the rich culture and heritage of the state and the nation by keeping the temples clean. “The Endowments Department can’t do everything by itself. It is for the people to join hands and contribute their part,’’ a volunteer says.