Despite the collapse of ‘Raja Gopuram’, pujas in the temple have not been affected as pilgrims “can take the other entrance at the rear,” said an official at the district headquarters. Officials from the district administration are camping in the area.

Ramachandramurthy conceded that the temple tower was weakening over the years. Despite some remedial steps in the past, one particularly worrisome crack was seen some five years ago, he noted.

What survived the shower of stones and displacement of chunks of lime mortar in Wednesday night’s collapse of the ‘Raja Gopuram’ (towering entrance) of the ancient Shiva temple at Srikalahasthi in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh is the statue of Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya.

Emperor Krishnadevaraya’s statue stands rock-solid amid the temple ruins.The late emperor had built the tower to commemorate his triumphant march to the town in AD 1516.