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Centuries-old Jain Basti at Bandora to get facelift

    Goa, April 10, 2017: The crumbling centuries-old Jain Basti in Bandora is set to receive a touch of restorative care after a few years of neglect, as the directorate of archives and archaeology (DAA) will soon take up a project to conserve the unique monument.
    Jainism flourished in Goa during the Kadamba era, as its rulers were known to be tolerant to other religions and cults. An inscription in Kannada found in Bandora refers to King Sripala, who set up this village and built the Jain temple of Neminath. DAA had spent more than Rs 20 lakh on conservation of the Jain Basti just over a decade ago.
    The work order will be issued shortly for completion of the conservation effort before the monsoon. “The file is being processed for technical approval,” assistant meteorologist DAA, Varad Sabnis, said.
    A few cracks have developed to the rear side of the structure. Exposure to heavy monsoon elements and growth of shrubbery causes slow decay. Lack of technical manpower for many years had also adversely affected the department’s work of conserving 51 monuments. A few of the sites had been taken care of but several continued to crumble from decay.

    DAA has stepped up its conservation work now with the recruitment of a few technical hands, though heritage lovers say there is still scope for much improvement.
    Illegal residential constructions close to the monument have also overshadowed the monument. But this happened more than a decade ago during the department’s low key functioning.

    The Jain monuments in Cudnem and Naroa in North Goa and Bandora in South Goa are known for their own signature of heritage siginificance.
    The conservation project estimated to cost Rs 11 lakh aims to give the monument a new lease of life. “The restoration will take about three weeks,” Sabnis said. – Article Courtesy: Times of India

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