East Tower of Vadakkunnathan temple in dangerous condition 

East Gopuram, one of the four monumental towers of the Sree Vadakkunnathan temple, Thrissur, is in a dangerous condition.

The temple, known for its architectural excellence, rare temple murals and wood carvings, has been declared as a National Monument under the AMASR Act. The famous Thrissur Pooram is conducted here.

There are four gopurams (towers), facing four cardinal directions of the temple. People enter the temple through the East and West Gopurams. The temple is maintained by the Cochin Devaswom Board and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

“The roof of the three-storey East Gopuram has been in a dilapidated condition and is now slanted towards one side. Termites are eating away the precious wood carvings of historical importance. The gopuram is now supported with steel poles. The wooden beams on the third floor might collapse any time. Water enters the gopuram when it rains,“ says T.R. Hariharan, secretary, Temple Advisory Committee.

According to temple sources, repair work has been delayed as permission has not been received from the ASI yet. “Following a request from the temple management committee, the Cochin Devaswom Board had long ago requested the ASI to undertake the repair works. But permission has not been accorded so far citing some technical reasons. The TVS Group, which had done restoration work on the temple earlier, is willing to undertake the work,“ the secretary added.

If the repair work was delayed further, it would cause permanent damage to the structure, said the temple sources. They complained that the ASI had not undertaken any repair work for the past 3-4 years.

The conservation work on the Sree Vadakkunnathan temple won UNESCO Award of Excellence in 2015.