GUWAHATI: The Hayagriva Madhava temple, on the banks of the Brahmaputra at Hajo , has been a centre of attraction for Hindu devotees and Buddhist monks for several centuries. However, the temple, which enshrines an image of Hayagriva Madhava , an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, may not stand the ravages of time for long.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is looking after the temple but a staff crunch has hit its conservation activities. "There is a shortage of staff. But, even with limited manpower, we are taking care of the temple. We have found cracks on one of the pillars inside the temple, and it will be repaired this year," said S S Gupta, superintending archeologist of ASI's Guwahati circle.

However, lack of basic amenities for the tourists and poor maintenance has plagued this stone temple, located just 30km off Guwahati across the Brahmaputra.

There is no definite age of the structure. While some historians say it was constructed by the Koch king Raghu Deva Narayan in 1583, some claim the architectural designs engraved on the temple date back to 6th century AD and it was therefore built by a king of the Pala dynasty.

"The Hayagriva Madhava temple is located only 30km from Guwahati. But there is no direct mode of transport to the temple. Moreover, the structure suffers from poor maintenance, lack of adequate facilities for tourists and pure drinking water. But, what it lacks most is publicity. This can also be attributed to the low tourist count here compared to some other historical sites in the state," said activist Vikash Das.

He urged the ASI to undertake beautification projects in and around the temple by restoring the damaged portions of the temple at the earliest.

Lack of attention to the temple came to light recently, when a large numbers of fishes in the temple pond were found dead. The pond is believed to have been built along with the temple and devotees not only pray at the temple but also worship the fishes and turtles in the pond.

"The fisheries department is circulating the water of the pond which houses fishes and turtles. Medicine has also been used in the pond after the incident," said Lakhminandan Saharia, circle officer of Hajo.

Local administration, however, believes there is scope of more publicity. Some Buddhists believe that Gautam Buddha actually attained nirvana here. "A concerted effort from public and government is needed to popularize the temple," Saharia said.

