Abathsahayeswarar Temple, Thukkachi
Prelims:
Indian
History, Art and Culture
Mains:
GS
Paper I-Indian Culture, Temple Architecture
Current relevance:
The Abathsahayeswarar Temple at Thukkachi,
Tamil Nadu, has received UNESCO's Award of Distinction under the 2025
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Highlights:
About the
Abathsahayeswarar Temple:
1. The Abathsahayeswarar Temple is a
12th-century Shiva temple located at Thukkachi, near Kumbakonam in
Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.
2. It was built during the reign of the Later
Chola dynasty and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped as Abathsahayeswarar.
3. The temple is built in the Dravidian
style of architecture, representing the Later Chola architectural tradition.
4. It reflects the architectural
excellence and engineering skills of the Later Chola dynasty,
blending artistic beauty with structural precision.
5. The temple recently received the UNESCO
Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction (2025) for its exemplary restoration,
which successfully combined traditional conservation techniques with modern
technology.
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction:
1. It recognises outstanding efforts to conserve and
restore cultural heritage sites in the Asia-Pacific region.
2. The Award of Distinction is one
of the highest honours under this programme, presented to projects that
demonstrate exceptional conservation standards.
3. Winning projects are evaluated for their technical excellence, use of traditional conservation methods, community participation, sustainability, and long-term heritage management.