Cracks in Nandi statue atop Chamundi: Meeting convened

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Concerned citizens of Mysuru have convened a roundtable during the first week of April in the wake of the reported threat to Chamundi Hills, the abode of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity of Mysuru, in the form of development works.

More importantly, the meeting is convened following cracks developed in the monolithic statue of Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, which is situated on the hill. Water has collected in the porous statue sculpted out of black stone but exposed to vagaries of nature for centuries. Cracks in the statue were noticed recently after the use of water jets and other cleaning agents used to clean the statue after its anointment with milk, ghee, honey, tender coconut water and other things by devotees. The statue is slowly turning white, which is supposed to be a bad sign.