Thiruvananthapuram: The state archaeology department will start work to preserve the centuries-old Buddha statues in Mavelikara and Ambalapuzha. These are protected monuments that require refurbishment.The work has been sanctioned by govt. A contractor has been identified for both the locations.The statue in Mavelikara, though housed in a pagoda located by the side of the road at the main junction, is in bad shape. There is waterlogging in the monument after the road was relaid, and there is oil and soot on the idol as people light lamps daily.“A contractor specialised in such conservation work has been identified through a tender to repair the pagoda and also create a beautified space around it. Replastering will have to be done. The chemical conservation of the statue will be done by a team from the archaeology department,” said a senior department official.The three-foot-tall statue in Mavelikara, believed to date from the 9th or 10th century AD, was discovered in an abandoned state in a waterbody in 1923. The region’s royalty built a pagoda with the support of the local community.Similar work will be carried out at Ambalappuzha, where the 11th-century statue made of black granite called Karumadikuttan is also housed inside a pagoda. The statue was found in a paddy field in the area. It has become a popular pilgrim centre.He said that this is one of the new works that will be taken up in the coming months. It is part of the many conservation works that are going on at different monuments.These statues are considered important protected monuments, as the discovery of similar idols in several parts of the state suggests a vibrant Buddhist presence in the region.Around five stone statues of Buddha have been found in different parts of the state, mostly in central Kerala.
