Mysuru: Will the majestic Nandi Statue on the way to Chamundi Hill be affected by Abhishekas and other rituals that are conducted every year? Yes, say chemical experts. The statue will be affected in the long run if harmful chemicals are used.

When Star of Mysore posed this question to Mysuru-based chemical engineer S. Rajashekar in the light of Mahabhisheka that was performed to Nandi statue this morning, he said that harmful chemicals in kumkum and other coloured powders will damage the structure and it is better to use natural colours while performing rituals.

Rajashekar, who has done his M.Tech in Chemical Engineering, said that Abhisheka of oil, milk actually protects the statue from sunrays as they form an outer layer. Oil and milk deposits, though turn the statue black over time, protect the statue from hot sun and vagaries of weather. This is the reason why the centuries-old statue, after being built, was rubbed with coconut oil to prevent it from cracking, he explained.

Citing the Gommateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola where Mahamastakabhisheka is performed once in 12 years (Mahamastakabhisheka is due in February 2018), he said that no artificial chemical is used in any of the rituals there and this has enabled protection of the statue.

When his attention was drawn to the recent cleaning of the Nandi statue by Archaeological Department where high-power water jets were used, Rajashekar said that frequent use of powerful water jets will cause the top layer of the statue to erode. “While Abhishekas with oil and natural substances do not cause any harm to the statue, these water jets, if used to clean the statue frequently, will harm the statue,” he said.

It may be mentioned here that in the first week of October, Archaeological Department had cleaned the Nandi Statue with high-powered water jets. Officials had told Star of Mysore then that they did not use a drop of chemical to clean the structure.

High-speed water jets are commonly used to clean stone structures all over the country and the Department had followed standard operating procedure and the statue has not been polished as reported in the media, officials had said.

Since many years, rituals like Abhishekas were performed on the statue and this had resulted layers of deposits of oil, dirt and dust on the statue that had turned black due to environmental heat. The colour of the statue changed to white after cleaning, officials had said.

The monolithic statue of Nandi is a major tourist attraction. The statue, reckoned to be at least 350 years old, was sculpted during the period of Dodda Devaraja Wadiyar who ruled from 1659 to 1673 and is the only one of its kind in the State. The statue is 3,489 ft above sea level.

Though Nandi is found adorning Shiva temples, this is one of the few standalone statues, measuring about 15 ft in height and 24 ft in width, carved out of a single boulder. Easily accessed either by road or steps, tourists usually stop by for the statue for a photo opportunity with the statue crouching on a cement base surrounded by a black, iron gate.