[MSN] Ancient Shiva temple in ruins in Bangladesh

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Ancient Shiva temple in ruins in Bangladesh
Submitted by Mudassir Rizwan on Tue, 01/22/2008 - 07:12.
  
By IANS

Dhaka : A seventh century Shiva temple in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh is
on the verge of ruin due to lack of maintenance and high salinity in the
soil, a report said Tuesday.

The large brick-built temple called Baroshivaloy at Delmala has terracotta
plaques and is surrounded by 11 other smaller similar temples, archaeology
officials said.

The officials admitted they could not maintain the temple complex due to the
lack of funds, The Daily Star reported Tuesday.

According to local historians, the temple complex was built between 700 AD
and 800 AD by devotees of the Hindu god.

Shituram Mohanto, caretaker of the temples, said poor maintenance work and
high level of salinity in the soil had caused much of the ornamental
terracotta plaques and the walls of the temples to erode over the years.

The situation got worse when locals painted the brickwork of the temple with
white lime. The terracotta plaques bear images of religious events but the
beauty of the walls, pillars and the rooms is almost all gone now.

A number of plaques and bricks have also been stolen. Fearing further theft,
the maintenance committee of the temple complex has encircled it with a
concrete wall.