The priests and Pashchim Maharashtra Deosthan Samiti, PMDS, a care-taker committee for shrine of western Maharashtra, have agreed to go in for a vajralep - a chemical process to restore the idol.

The long-awaited decision by devotees and archaeologists as well, was reached at a meeting convened by Minister of State for Law and Judiciary, Dilip Sopal, and the District Collector here, about a week ago and the State Government authorities have been processing the necessary documents to expedite the chemical process.

Decks were cleared for the vajralep only after assurance from Sopal that such a restoration of idol would not affect the traditional rights of the priests.

The weathering of the famous idol dating back to Shilahar dynasty has gone on for decades despite repeated pleas from devotees and a caution note from theArchaeological Survey of India experts. The graceful idol was loosing its charm and some of the carvings were fading, the experts said. The issue also had figured in the State Assembly, a few years ago.

The delay in deciding on the vajralep was attributed to some clash of interests between the pujaris and the PMDS trustees. The continuous erosion of the three and a half feet idol was the result of the daily abhishek - anointing - with panchamruta - a concentration of curd, milk, honey, sugar and ghee - and other ceremonial rites has reacted with the sandstone which threatened the idol perched atop a stone altar in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple for over 1,200 years now.

The beautifully carved stellar shaped structure has been an archaelogical marvel by itself, plotted in such a manner that the rays of the beautiful setting sun touch the feet of the Goddess twice during the morning star's yearly rotation.

Verses in many Hindu Scriptures describe the Mahalakshmiidol with great poetic details. The idol facing west, they say, has four hands. A mace in its right hand, a shield in the left hand and a lingam and a cobra with its hood raised carved on its head.

Installation of a silver idol for the routine religious rites was a way out suggested even after the 1955 vajralep, since experts were of the opinion that the sandstone idol should not be exposed to anointments very often.

The priests maintained that they were looking after daily poojas and other rituals for over eight decades, and hence they should be taken into confidence before undertaking any alterations at the temple. The priests, earlier, had offered to undertake the vajralep, supervised by a Government nominee. The offer, however, had been dubbed as the priests' effort to reaffirm their rights at the temple.

Although, no details of any such application in the history of pre-modern Kolhapur are available, the chroniclers confirm at least two such vajraleps, first onearound 1918-19 and later in 1955. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, the sculptor of modern Kolhapur had actively patronised the earlier chemical process while the other was presided over by the Shankaracharya of Puri.