Rs. 12 lakh to restore murals of Ambujavalli Mahalakshmi and Svetavarahaswamy temples

Mysore/Mysuru: The Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage has resumed efforts to conserve the wall paintings at the Svetavarahaswamy and Ambujavalli Mahalakshmi temples at the Mysore Palace premises, after the murals lost much of their vibrancy over the years.

An earlier conservation attempt, taken up in 2021, was abruptly halted midway. The Department has now sanctioned Rs. 12 lakh for the restoration work, which is expected to begin shortly.

The murals have suffered damage due to several factors, including small tears in the canvas, white patches over crimson-red paintings, lime splashes, dust accumulation, fungal growth and cracks caused by increased humidity, all of which have affected their aesthetic appeal.

Historical facts

Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar, who ruled Mysore from 1673 to 1704 with Srirangapatna as the capital, had built the Ambujavalli Mahalakshmi Temple there. Later, Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who ruled from 1799 to 1868, built the Svetavarahaswamy temple complex after Mysore became the capital of the kingdom.

According to the Mysore Gazetteer, Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar procured the stone idol of Svetavarahaswamy from Srimushnam in present-day Tamil Nadu and installed it in the newly-built temple at Srirangapatna.

However, after the temple was demolished by Tipu Sultan, the idol was shifted to Mysore and reinstalled in the present temple in 1809. The Gazetteer also notes that Dewan Purnaiah built the temple using materials from a Hoysala-era structure in Shivamogga district.

Dewan Purnaiah had commissioned murals on the inner walls of the temples depicting episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

These nearly 200-year-old paintings gradually deteriorated due to poor maintenance. During earlier renovation works, chemical-based paints were reportedly used, further damaging the murals.

Aborted conservation attempt

In 2022, the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage entrusted the conservation work to the National Research Laboratory for Conservation (NRLC), Lucknow.

A team from the Mysuru Regional Conservation Laboratory worked on the murals for a few months. However, instead of restoring the paintings, the work allegedly distorted parts of the artwork before it was stopped midway.

Despite repeated letters from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage to the NRLC, no response was received.

Meanwhile, in February 2024, a Mysuru-based trainee, S.V. Sahana, who had worked with the NRLC Mysuru team, alleged that she had not been paid any stipend despite working as a trainee.

Concerned over the deteriorating condition of the murals, some devotees later approached the Chief Minister’s grievance cell seeking immediate protection of the rare artworks.

Following this, Dr. Vaishnavi, Special Duty Officer to the Chief Minister, wrote to the Chamundeshwari Temple Authority and the Commissioner of the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, urging immediate conservation measures.

In response, Commissioner A. Devaraju said the tender process for conservation of the Ambujavalli temple murals had been completed at an estimated cost of Rs. 12 lakh for the 2025-26 financial year. He added that the agency had been finalised and restoration orders would be issued shortly.