Hieun tsang.

As I circumbulated the inner corridor around the main shrine that has several statues in various stages of disintegration , a old priest on seeing the camera in my hand directed to me the corner where Hiuen stang the famous Chinese traveller has been immortalised in stone !

It is sad to see the defaced statues . Where a nose should be there are gaping holes. Most of them have dismembered limbs. Some attempts have been made to patch and plaster them . Time takes its toll.Vishnu's image at the entrance of ranganathar's shrine
The image of Hieun tsang with an umbrella. [17.5.11]