PROJECT REPORT

ON
TAPOVANAM PRESERVATION

ABOUT
Vidya Nagar is a small village/hamlet in Kota Mandal in SPSR Nellore (Sri Potti Sree
Ramulu Nellore) District of Andhra Pradesh State, India. It comes under Gudali
Panchayath. It belongs to Andhra region. It is located 50 km towards south from the
district headquarters Nellore, 4 km from Kota.
Gudur is the nearest town to Vidya Nagar. Gudur is 26 km from Vidya Nagar. Road
connectivity is there from Gudur to Vidya Nagar.
There is no railway station near to Vidya Nagar in less than 10 km. However there
are railway Stations from near by town Gudur. You can reach from Gudur to Vidya
Nagar by road.
Kota APSRTC Bus Station, Vakadu APSRTC Bus Station, Naidu pet APSRTC Bus Station
are the nearby bus stations to Vidya Nagar. APSRTC runs a number of busses from
major cities to here.
Gudali Konda (14.020831, 80.019105), a small hillock on the banks of River
Swarnamukhi is a famous visiting place.

SIGNIFICANCE
The Tapovanam site (14.031643, 80.029936) holds great significance for the devotees of
Acharya Sri Ekkirala Bharadawaja not only for the memories contained there in but
also for the numerous saints that graced this house by their presence.
Ekkirala Bharadwaja (October 30, 1938 April 12, 1989) fondly remembered as
Pujya Sai Master was a Hindu spiritual master, venerated by his legion followers as
an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya (the avatar of Guru-as-God). A personification of
pure love, the immense peace and tranquility that emanated drew thousands to him
as bees to a flower. His simple life style, humility, generosity and care towards every
person captivated everyones heart. Pujya Sai Master symbolized the harmony
between the Vedic tradition and urban civilization. The most distinctive aspect of his
teaching was that he corroborated modern scientific principles with spiritual
wisdom.
Pujya Sai Master worked tirelessly to spread the eternal message of Sri Sai Baba
whom he proclaimed as being the very pinnacle of spirituality. Today his efforts can
be observed in the thousands of temples that have emerged all over the world, and
the innumerable devotees that throng to Shirdi.
The holy site which was later named as Tapovanam was actually the house that the
Acharya rented while working as an English Lecturer in the S B K R Science and Arts
Degree College at Vidyanagar, Nellore District in 19701. Initially, as a bachelor he
only occupied a part of the house, but after his marriage to Sow. Alivelu
Mangatayaru in 1975, he rented the entire house and continued to live there until
the early part of 1981, when he moved to the town of Ongole.
The house has many fond memories
associated with it. His first offspring Ch.
Vedavathi was born here in 1976. As she grew
up she could be found playing with her father
in the garden to the west of the house. The
well-known temple of Sri Sai Baba was
constructed under the Acharyas aegis in the
days when he was residing here. The
foundation stone was laid in April 1976 and
the Kumbhabhishekam was performed in August 1980. The holy book Sri Sai
Leelamrutham that is a parayana grantha for millions today and has also been
translated into several languages was finalized in this very house. Many of his other
works were also penned here.
Devotees including the residents and students
of the SBKR College hold fond memories of the
Acharya conducting daily satsang and bhajan in
the front hall of the house. These discourses
which began in 1969 in response to a question

posed by a Christian student continued uninterrupted for a period of 12 long years

up until 1981. The Acharya would sit in front of a life size photo of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba
with framed pictures of innumerable saints next to him and to his right. Various
books on science, spirituality, homeopathy, sociology and letters by students and
devotees would lie scattered all around him. The menfolk would sit in front of him
while the ladies all occupied the inner rooms - the sphere of his divine consort.
The room behind the front hall held innumerable books and a few odds and ends,
while the tiny room adjacent to the hall was his resting room. The room next to it
was occupied by The Mother which also had a cooking enclosure beside it. The
general layout has been given below. (Fig) The well to the east of the house was
used frequently by the Acharya to draw out water for his ablutions.
The house was further sanctified by the holy feet of several saints such as Sri
Ranganna Babu, Sri Swami Samarth Narayan Maharaj and Sri Poornananda Swamy.
Innumerable divine experiences have occurred in this house that have been
documented in several books.1, 2, 3 To the millions of devotees of the Acharya, a visit
to this holy place recreates his life and times and embodies his magnificent spiritual
persona.

The Original photo of Tapovanam before the construction of Satsang Mandir

(from south east corner of the plot)

Fig 1: Original Tapovanam (Before construction of the new Dhyana Mandiram)

Fig 2: General Layout of Tapovanam (present after construction of new Dhyana

Mandiram on south side near to the entrance)

CURRENT SITUATION
Tapovanam as it stands today:

There is a new construction of a building called Satsang hall in the area

which was earlier the kitchen garden, on the south side of the plot.
The said Satsang hall is at a higher elevation from the main house
Another new construction of a high rise bathroom has been built in the
north east of the plot.
The original verandah on the kitchen side had been closed with walls
The original bathroom is demolished and a new one constructed just a few
feet away.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
1.
2.
3.
4.

Built over 50 years ago in stages

Probably no foundation
Brick wall construction with mud mortar
Three different kinds of roofs in very poor condition some temporary
protection given
5. Completely damaged water proofing of the roof

Present condition of the Structure

1. Little or no maintenance, over the last decade
2. Some doors and windows replaced
3. Additional wall constructed
4. Termite damage on all wood
5. New constructions
6. No access to the roof
7. Parapet wall on the roof heavily damaged and vegetation growth
In the current conditions, the building can only be preserved to show the FUTURE
generations the holiness of Parama Pujya Acharya Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja. However,
the preservation needs to be carried out in a slow step by step approach starting
with an overall protection of the structure from natural forces, slab strengthening
through supporting it.
CURRENT SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The current project scope is limited to assessing the current status of the building
and to offer step-by-step methods in which either preservation or restoration of the
same can be taken up.
Step 1 - Assessing the building condition Completed the basic macro assessment.
Further micro detailing will be taken up at appropriate times once the work starts
on the core structure on individual elements like walls, wood work, ceiling etc...
1. Careful measurement of the various features of the building and developing a
detailed drawing of present condition of the building, checking the wall
conditions, roof/slab conditions, condition of wood work, floor conditions etc
2. Inventorying all doors and windows/ventilators
3. Drilling a Bore hole, up to about 5m, near the compound wall for soil testing
/profiling. Alternately a trench about 4 or 5 ft deep may be dug and
inspected by geotechnical experts
4. Arranging a technical visit by experts and experienced/ interested contractors
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Step 2 Super Structure Estimates obtained and being presented here

(Annexure-1)
To ensure the longevity of the building, we need to ensure it is protected from sun
and rain, which are the critical factors. To ensure this, a super structure above the
building is proposed to cover the entire building with its steel columns at least 10 ft
away from the existing structure, where possible. A typical view is shown below:

Water should not stagnate in the plot, all rain water should be directed away, by
digging a trench (about 2 ft wide and 3 ft deep) all around the plot. This water
should be led away from the main building.
The outlet of the channel is lead to the well on the north east side. If necessary
arrangements need to be made to pump out this water

The proposed super structure will be a sloped structure from South to North. The
above shaded portion in pink with dotted border, is the steel structure supported
on steel columns. This extends up to the wall on the west side and covers the entire
wall up to wall from top. On the north side, it extends 5 feet beyond the existing
toilet structure. On the east side, this structure extends up to the boundary wall. On
the south side, the structure rests on the Dhyanamandir roof.
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The crtieria for the super structure above is to ensure rain water does not come in
contact with the structure.
Step 3 Building Preservation

The building has three different types of slabs and they need repairing at different
places. The way to repair will be explained once the assessment is done.
Type 1 : Madras Terrace Type
The wooden beams are all termite infested. They need to be removed one by one,
cleansed, anti-termite treated and the slab further strengthened.

Type 2 :Filler Roof Slab :

All the corroded RE bars need to be cleaned and additional reinforcement added
before covering up with micro concrete.
Type 3 : As it (roof of the Satsang Hall) appears to be constructed at the last (around
1960s), there being no external evidence of damage, it is presumed to be of the
conventional R.C.Slab type.

Slab propping up:

The slab at various locations needs to be propped up by putting in support structures
internally and externally. Inside the building, in each room, props are erected all
around the room at regular intervals, and they are all grouted to the ground. On the
top, a criss-cross structure is fixed with a mesh. The strength of mesh is sufficient
enough to take the load of the slab which is again evenly transferred to the props.
The detailed structure drawing is given along with the document.
The walls on the outer surface are damaged and need extensive repair at places. This
will be done as detailed below.

Cracks on the external wall shown above, may be treated by the following methods:

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Depending on the original

mortar and plaster used we
can
mix
chemicals
appropriately
for
strengthening. Similarly grout
mixes of various types are
available for a rational
choice. Also if need be ferro
concrete may be made use
of.

Finally, to protect the walls, from further environmental damage, the walls are
completely covered with a glass structure framed within Aluminium frames.

The areas that require cleaning, will be taken up once the slab is completely propped
up. The wall panels can removed at places which require attention and the required
treatment done. Once the treatment is done, the panel is closed. This protection is
to ensure no external damage or environmental damage is done to the walls.
Airconditioned atmosphere is being proposed inside the glass panel structure and
the feasibility of the same is under evaluation.
DOORS AND WINDOWS
Quite a few of the doors and windows are either in a poor condition or replaced fully
or partially (after repair). Also due to lack proper chejjas, rainwater seems to be
entering the house, as is evident from the picture below.

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Step 4 Flooring
The flooring inside the building is damaged at various
places. The flooring will be preserved as it is by carrying out
simple repairs probably, we can have a coat of transparent
liquid polystyrene or some such chemical. The areas inside
the building will be restricted from movement thus
ensuring longevity.

CHIMNEY
As shown below, the chimney is in a precarious condition. It has be to be first
carefully whether the cracks are surficial or going deeper into the brick structure.
Thereafter the treatment methodology similar to that detailed earlier for walls may
be adopted.

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Details are available in Standard Documents of the UN/GOI/State Governments. The

above is a picture from the UN Docs.

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CONCLUSION
Some of the aspects requiring detailed analysis as mentioned above:

the chimney
the roof treatment for water proofing
the parapet wall on top of the roof
the stair case
the treatment for flooring
the need for preserving each and original particle coming out during rehab

It must be in your mind that the new concrete structure is elevated and hence
overbearing, thereby its removal is inevitable; so also the new toilet.
The plinth area of the structure is around 860 sq ft. The cost of the entire
renewal work could go up to Rs. 5,000/- per sq ft or even more.
A proper renovation may take anywhere from 2 to 5 years.
Under the existing conditions, from a structural view point, no guarantee can be
given to the stability or the safety of the 50 year old structure.
For all devotees of Sai Master it is a SACRED MONUMENT. We must attempt to
preserve it to the best of our ability
For this there are technologies available!!!
It should be remembered that it is a divine seva (service). Only by His grace it is
possible.

There are many more possible options. But selection of the technology depends on,

Availability of material and machinery/tools for carrying out the retrofitting

work.
Availability of skilled/dedicated manpower.

REFERENCES

Guidelines for retrofitting of Buildings Govt of Tamilnadu

UNDP Manual on retrofitting of Non engineered Structures
Mahathmula Muddubiddadu
Bhagwan Sri Bharadwaja
Smruthulu

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Annexure 1

SCOPE OF SUPPLY
Building A
Quantity
Building usage
Area No. 1
Basic Building Description
1
Frame Type
1
2
Width (m)
3
Length (m)
4
Clear Height (m)
5
Width Module Spacing (m.)
6
Roof slope
7
Length Bay Spacing (m.)
8
Front End Frame
9
Back End Frame
10
Wind bracing
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
colum
18
18con

Columns
Truss
Per lines
Side closing
Roof Cladding
Wall Cladding
Sidewall column Sections
Eave conditions

01
A type

One sides slope

47 ft
50 ft
16 ft
15.8 ft
1:10
6.490 mm@21.7 ft
Light end frame
Light end frame
Rod bracing
ISMB 200,150
76 od, 38od MM
60X40 requtanguler tubes
10 ft closing in both sides of shed
0.47 mm thick bare Galvalume
0.47 mm thick color coated sheets
`Tapered
Water gutter, barge caps

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AGREEMENT PRICING

Pricing: 1. Building
A).50 ft x 47 ft = 2350 sft(approx) x @ 230/-Rs = Rs 5,40,500/Above Price is excluding Applicable taxes
NOTE : Final payment is as per plinth area.
Terms of Payment for Material:
Payment as follows.
1. 50 % Of Advance along with Purchase Order or Work Order.
2. 40% of amount after dispatch the material.
3. 10% 0f amount after completion of the job.
4. Taxes 5% extra.
5. Workers accommodation and water arranged by you.
6. If there is any natural climatically disturbance occurs in the site we required
extension period.
7. Parches order / work order to be release on acceptance of over terms and
condition.
8. Security required for our men and materials.
9. The entire work should be completes within 30 days, on proper receipt of the
payment.

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1. Steel Work Finish:

Sino
1
2
3

Item
Frames, built-Up / HR Sections
Purloins / Girt
foundation bolts

FINISH
1 Coats of Red Oxide and 2 coats of
enamel paint
MS pralines
Black ( unpainted )

2. Design Loads:
Sino
1
2
3
4
5

DESCRIPTION
Dead load
Live load
Wind speed
Collateral Load
Mezzo load

0.1 KN/M^2
0.57 KN/M^2
50 M/S
0.3 KN/M^2
Mentioned in notes

WARRANTY
BEB products are warranted against any failure due to defective material or
Workmanship for a period of ONE year.
SCOPE OF AGREEMENT
It is further understood that this agreement is the only agreement express or
implied, either verbal or in writing, in connection with this sale
FORCE MAJEURE
SELLER shall not be liable for any loss or damage to BUYER for delay in delivery or
cancellations of any purchasers order by SELLER due to circumstances beyond
SELLERS control, Such as, but not Limited to, War, riots, civil commotion, revolution,
government regulations, Orders or acts of any government authority directly or
indirectly interfering with or rendering more burdensome the production or delivery
of the products, Floods, Fires, Delays due to transporters strike and any other
circumstances or event beyond SELLERS control.
GOVERNING LAWS:
This agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and under the
laws of the Government of India. Both parties agree that in any case of any
difference or dispute between the SELLER and the BUYER will be resolved by Mutual
discussions and agreement. However, unresolved issues, if any, will be settled by
arbitration as per the Indian arbitration and Conciliation act, and the venue of the
arbitration will be in Hyderabad, A.P.

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