Mission revival, a decade and counting

Jayabal, a 77-year-old entrepreneur and an engineer who graduated from IIT Kharagpur, has been on an extraordinary mission for a decade: completing a temple tower that has stood unfinished for over 700 years.

- T MURUGANANDHAM @Chennai

After 40 years in the stainless steel foundry business, he has dedicated himself to restoring the Sri Pundarikaksha Perumal temple in Thiruvellarai, Tiruchy.

The decade-long effort here reflects the technical rigour, expertise and also the perseverance that the complex architectural challenges demand.

The approximately 1,300-year-old temple, believed to be older than the Srirangam Ranganathar temple, is the fourth Divya Desam among the 108 sacred Vishnu temples. Its name derives from the white rocks (Vellarai) found in the region, which were used in its construction.

It was the temple's northern tower, with its unique architectural challenge, that drew Jayabal's commitment.

During the reign of Hoysala King Narasimha III, renovation work on the Thiruvellarai temple tower was initiated. However, an invasion in 1311 interrupted the work, leaving the tower incomplete for over 700 years.