The main temple at Alampur - a small town about 23 Km from Kurnool Telangana is very unique. Unique because this temple has the distinction of being built TWICE from the foundation!
During 7th – 8th century, the Chalukya Kings built this temple for Lord Shiva and called it Sangameshwar temple on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. This temple is a wonderful collection of some outstanding sculptures.
When the Srisailam Dam was about to be built across Tungabadhra river, it was certain that this 7th century temple would be submerged in the waters of the catchment area of the dam. It was then the Archeological Survey of India came out with the brilliant idea of uprooting the entire temple from its original place of construction and rebuilding it far away in a safer place so that this wonderful temple could be saved for posterity!
This was a herculean task for ASI. Whole temple was divided into several thousand blocks and each block was systematically marked. Then each block was carefully cut and all these blocks were marked and then transported to the new site. Superb care was taken to see that nothing was damaged during the cutting process or during the transportation. After extensive documentation of each block they were transported to the new site – the present one – which is 25 kms from its original place. Elaborate planning and care was involved in the transportation of these pieces.
Once the entire temple was transplanted to the new site the reconstruction work began. It was now the extensive documentation they have made was put to its best use. Again piece by piece the entire temple was reconstructed from the foundation. Today what we see as Sangamesvarasvami temple was actually the one reconstructed by ASI.
This involved work of gigantic proportions very similar to that carried out to Abu Simbel in Egypt! Thus the entire temple was reconstructed which was exactly same as it stood in its original place. After the reconstruction work was over they chemically washed all the markings and nothing is visible today.
Today Alampur Sangamesvarasvami temple stands as a testimony to the great skill and expertise that is available with our Archeological Survey of India.
