Maintenance work begins as ancient symbols of Mahabs lose lustre

CHENNAI: After the 44th Chess Olympiad that concluded at Mamallapuram in August, the archaeological department has commenced work to quickly complete the cleaning and maintenance of the ancient symbols at the spot, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

The work has begun again at the iconic tourist location after 3 years by the archaeological department.

Ancient symbols in Mamallapuram like Archunan Thabasu, Shore temple, and Pancha Rathas are known for its history. As sea air salt, algae caused by rain, soil, dust generated in the air, vehicle fumes, and bird droppings were seen in the sculptures, the sculptures have been losing their luster.

It is customary for the archeology department to clean the fossils by applying chemicals every two years, but, due to Covid and curfews imposed to minimize the spread of the virus, the sculptures were left untouched for the last 3 years without any cleaning and maintenance work.

After the recently concluded Chess Olympiad, Mamallapuram is seen as a place of international importance. Every year, more and more domestic and foreign tourists come to visit the ancient locations here.