Miles away from the immaculate Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati (above) lies the saint’s dilapidated birthplace

Aug. 20: The legacy of Srimanta Sankardev may be “priceless”, but the job of preserving it comes with a price tag that the government has struggled to bear.

Take, for instance, Sankardev’s birthplace: Borduwa.

Located 12km from the headquarters of Nagaon district, Borduwa is a storehouse of history and mythology. One such legend it that when Sankardev’s followers — bhakats, as they are called — were parched, the patron saint of the Assamese invoked the heavens for a waterbody and the Akashi Ganga flowed through Borduwa. The government has finally woken up to its responsibility and launched a Rs 36-lakh beautification project to give the village a facelift. A source of district administration said the project includes renovation of the two main temples Kirton Ghar and Dol Mandir and reconstruction of the path around Akashi Ganga.

Out of the total fund, Rs 24 lakh will be from the district planning and monitoring committee and Rs 12 from Dispur’s untied fund.

While the district planning and monitoring committee will undertake the repair of the two temples, the path and the two roads leading to the main than, the work to be undertaken under the joint fund will include a fountain and a children’s park on the Dol Mandir campus.“We had lined up three projects for Borduwa, but received financial approval only for two,” the source said. Another Rs 45 lakh for an auditorium and Rs 1 crore for renovation of Sati Radhika temple have been sanctioned.

“We had also sought for Rs 50 lakh for a museum but that has not been sanctioned yet. If the proposed museum sees the light of the day, it will add to the tourist attraction,” the source said. The committee has a museum where cultural treasures and the writings of the icon have been preserved.

“We feel these should be preserved scientifically, but lack of necessary infrastructure and trained manpower have forced push us to keep these precious items in an unscientific manner,” said a source in the Borduwa management committee.