Historic 14th-century Temple to be Restored in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A 14th century Shiva temple that was dismantled during the construction of the Jayakwadi dam 52 years ago is set to be rebuilt here, an official of the Maharashtra archaeology department said on Thursday.

A 14th century Shiva temple that was dismantled during the construction of the Jayakwadi dam 52 years ago is set to be rebuilt here, an official of the Maharashtra archaeology department said on Thursday. For the first time in the state such a restoration is going to be attempted, he claimed. Two ancient temples located at Shevta and Savkheda villages in Paithan tehsil of the district (then known as Aurangabad) were dismantled in 1972 as the area was about to go under water after the dam was completed.

The stones were brought here and preserved, the official told PTI.

''A temple that stood in Shevta will be put together on a hillock near Soneri Mahal (a historical palace which now houses an office of the archaeology department) here. The stones have already been numbered, and we will rebuild the temple on that basis,'' he added.

The state government has sanctioned Rs 3.53 crore for the project and the work will start in two-three months, the official said.

The original temples were built in the `Hemadpanti' style, common in Maharashtra in the medieval era.

The construction of the Jayakwadi dam in Paithan tehsil led to the submersion of nearly 100 villages.

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