Daily News & Analysis
By M. Raghuram
Moodabidri, Jul 4, 2011
An 800-year-old tank in Moodbidri town, also called the Jain Kashi, recognised as a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been fully restored to its 13th century glory.
Thanks to the initiative of the ASI, the tank is expected to hold water this monsoon, after a hiatus of over 80 years. DNA had reported about the state of the tank in April 2010.
The tank, built eight centuries ago by Jain chieftains, was locally known as ‘Bhattrakere.’ The ASI prefers to call it the ‘Ancient Tank’. Swamiji Charukirit Bhattaraka Panditacharyavarya of the Moodbirdri Jain mutt said, “I had sent a copy of the DNA report to the ASI regional centre, and they followed up and started restoration work.”
Tracing the history of the tank, the swamiji said, “The existence of the tank goes back to the 13th century AD. It coincides with the discovery of the Dhavala Trilogy documents of the Jain Thirthankaras. The Bettakere was earlier known as ‘Bhattaraka kere’ (Bhattarakas are chiefs of the Jain monasteries); this tank was reserved for the use of the Bhattarakas.
Bhatrakere was built on a one-acre land, and it was about 35-40 feet deep. It used to hold water perennially, and there are records in the mutt to show that the tank was used by the Bhattarakas for ritual purposes.”
Restoration work was undertaken such that the original masonry was left untouched, as far as possible. ASI local supervisor YD Bhajantri said, “The formation of humus in the bottom of the tank indicates that the tank will hold water this monsoon. The walls of the tank now are as they were when the tank was originally made. It is dressed in laterite stone, custom-cut from local quarries. Stones were wedged together by sheer alignment, without using any cementing agents.”
Records at the mutt show that the colonial government had undertaken restoration work of the tank in the early 20th century. There are, however, no records of any other restoration work since then, in independent India.
ASI officials in Mysore said, “The tank was built with special laterite stones. There was no mortar used to bind the stones together. The builders have used a unique construction method. The size of the stones is larger than what we get nowadays. However the top platform of the tank was yet to be completed. That bit will be completed once the monsoon subsides."