*Vellore **Aug. 19*: An abandoned giant statue of Lord Sankara Narayana Swamy, believed to be one of the avatars of Lord Siva, has begun to attract visitors. Considered inauspicious after it developed a crack in the feet, the 91-foot statue was discarded at a stone quarry in Karadimalai village near Arcot in 1992. Now, the quarry has become the centre of attraction for tourists during weekends and a landmark for the village, said villagers of the neighbouring areas. "Around 20 tourists come here in a week to see the statue," said Sankar, a quarry contractor.
Work on the statue started in 1989 and was completed three years later. "A trailer with 150 tyres was driven to the site for transporting the statue and a separate approach road to the quarry was laid across the Palar river along the Ranipet Bridge as the government had denied permission for the vehicle to pass through the bridge. However, the statue developed an air crack on the feet when the sculptors tried to lift it on to the trailer using hydraulic machines, said another villager.