Neglect tarnishes Sanskrit University’s 1,200-metre picture wall

Kochi: One of the most striking features of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady, the 1,200-metre-long picture wall, now lies tarnished and forgotten. Adorned with traditional bas-relief sculptures, the five-and-a-half-foot-high wall stretches along the university’s main entrance but is now coated in mud and overgrown with shrubs.

The wall’s artistic journey begins with a depiction of Gurukulam, where a guru is seen teaching disciples. Next comes a 250-foot-long narrative of Sree Sankaracharya’s life, followed by sections inspired by the Upanishads, traditional Indian musical instruments, and 108 scenes from Bharatamuni’s Natyashastra. Further along are dramatic episodes from the Mahabharata and a 10-foot scene showing a hunter aiming arrows at a pair of cranes. The final stretch culminates in a sculpted portrayal of Shankaracharya’s message: Education is the ultimate truth.

However, this cultural masterpiece is now battling time and neglect. As vehicles speed past on the adjacent Canal Bund Road, splashes of mud and water stain the wall. Vegetation has taken root in its crevices. Despite initial proposals for roofing, lighting, interpretative marble plaques, and a two-foot platform with handrails, none of these were ever implemented.

There was also a plan to cover the nearby canal with concrete slabs and develop it into a landscaped garden with seating, envisioned as a tourist attraction highlighting the wall. That, too, remains on paper.

The 1,250-metre-long Canal Bund Road, which runs parallel to the wall, is owned by the Irrigation Department and maintained by the Public Works Department. While the Irrigation Department had agreed to transfer the road to the university for preservation purposes, the university failed to act. A high-level expert committee formed to guide the conservation efforts met only once. Another committee, led by then-District Collector V P Joy, had even prepared a detailed project blueprint.

There is growing criticism of the university’s lack of interest in preserving this artistic heritage, despite spending lakhs of rupees on its construction. Although some sections of the wall have been repainted and restored, much of it remains vulnerable. In response to complaints about trespassing, a decision has been made to raise the height of the wall, and tender procedures are currently underway.

Still, art enthusiasts insist that enhancing security must go hand-in-hand with conservation.