Guler heritage temples in Kangra face utter neglect

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, June 29

A team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently visited the Haripur Guler area in Kangra district. The team led by ASI Director Dr Basant Kumar surveyed various heritage temples of former Guler state of Kangra.

Preserving heritage

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ASI officials showed keen interest in taking over a couple of temples and providing funds to the state government for the preservation of the remaining temples.

Raghav Guleria, guler resident

Sources said the team visited the Ram Mandir, Govardhan Dhari, Dhuru Mahadev, Saraswati temple and the Kalyanrai Sheetla Mata temple. All these temples were built between the 16th and 17th century by the former rulers of Guler. Most of these temples were built using sandstone found in the region. At present, local management committees are managing the temples. The temples are in a bad state.

Raghav Guleria, a resident of the Guler area, who has been working for the preservation of the heritage of the former Guler state, said the ASI officials showed keen interest in taking over a couple of temples and providing funds to the state government for their preservation.

Recently, a delegation from Dehra area had met Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur and sought his intervention in the preservation of the heritage of the former Guler state. It was after Anurag’s intervention, who also represents the area, that a team of ASI officials visited the area.

The area is considered the birthplace of the Guler style of miniature paintings, which were world famous and had a rich heritage value. However, most heritage buildings in the area are in a state of neglect. The fort of the former Guler state was a private property. However, it was not being maintained by its owners.

Raghav Guleria said Haripur was once a walled city. The remnants of the gates are still present outside the town. The state government or the ASI should also preserve these gates.

Besides Haripur, Guler had many heritage buildings and water bodies. Some of these buildings have already disappeared. However, it would be great if the remaining heritage buildings were saved, he said.

Every year, when water recedes in the Pong Dam during the summer, the Bathu Ki Lari temples emerge from it. During the monsoon, when water inflow into the Beas increases and the Pong Dam is filled, the temples are completely submerged.

Surprisingly, though the temples have been submerging in the Pong Dam lake for the past 50 years, their structure is intact. People visit the place to see the temple structures when they emerge during the summer.