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BANGALORE, INDIA, May 13, 2005: When everyone is worried about losing their built up areas that serve as shops and residences to a city-wide road widening project, the magnificent gopuras of the temples stand in eloquent silence. While they are nestled among huge complexes with staircases dangerously leading out on to the street far below, historians suggest that the ancient monuments should be retained. Well-known historian Suryanath Kamath told this website’s newspaper that an alternative should be found. “There are many temples here which are more than 400 years old. We can preserve them and they can be converted into circles, wherever possible,” he said. “We have to respect the sentiments of the people who are worshipping at these places since hundreds of years”, said Kamath adding that the monuments can also be shifted to safer places if the city so deems. The roads in and around Chickpet, Cubbonpet, Cottonpet, Nagarthpet and neighboring areas abound with 80 temples. The famous Sri Dharmaraya Swamy temple on Kilari road is also under the road-widening project and a section slated to be demolished, a temple official said. The temple, houses two exceptionally fine images -one of Sri Dharmaraja Swami and another of Lord Krishna, and is best known for its association with the centuries-old colorful Karaga festival. Prakash Jain, a shop owner on Kilari road said that many temples on this road might lose their originality due to road widening. Famous Santhoshimata temple, Jain temples on RT street and in Chickpet, Raghavendra Swami temple on BVK Iyengar road may be impacted. Another temple in Nagarthpet, which faces the threat of widening, is 300 years old. The Venugopal Krishnaswamy temple might lose 10 feet of its finely carved shrine, a priest feared.

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