On the morning of October 22, 1968, just before sunrise, the Abu Simbel rock-cut temple was the centre of anticipation. A large assembly of archaeologists, engineers, artisans, llabourers, and high-ranking officials from Egypt and other nations had gathered in front of the four colossal seated statues of Ramses II, each standing 21 meters tall. The air was thick with a mix of emotions—anticipation, apprehension, nervousness, and a sense of resignation.
As the sun began to rise, it gently illuminated three of the divine figures in the inner sanctum, as it had done for more than 3200 years. Tears filled the eyes of everyone present. An immense but meticulous international effort involving 50 countries had successfully saved and perfectly relocated the Abu Simbel rock-cut temple, the crown jewel among ancient Egyptian-Nubian architectural wonders, from permanent submersion in Lake Nasser of the Aswan High Dam.
In his Talk “The World Saves Abu Simbel: How a Multi-Nation Team Relocated an Entire 3000-year old Temple”, T Ravishankar will focus on how the temple was saved through improbable international efforts at the height of the Cold War. He will also provide a brief account of the dynasties of Ancient Egypt, a few important gods, and the great Abu Simbel itself.
The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
About the Speaker:
T Ravishankar, a Chartered Accountant, retired as the General Manager of the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC). His career took him to Guwahati and Hyderabad, before he eventually returned to Chennai. During his tenure, he led various departments, including Accounts, Loan Processing, Risk Management, and IT.
Passionate about heritage, he worked with the late Dr. V.K. Bawa, IAS (Retd) from the Centre for Deccan Studies and Friends of Golconda, Hyderabad. An active volunteer with the Tamil Heritage Trust (THT) for over a decade, he organized THT’s monthly talks and the Pechu Kacheri series for two years each, as well as the V. Venkayya Epigraphy Award for three years. Trained as a 'Mallai Docent,' he also instructed the latest group of docents.
His interests span from the Puranas to India's syncretic traditions. He has delivered talks on Dr U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer, Islamic Architecture of India, Stepwells of Gujarat, Literature of Hoysalas, Inscriptions of the Calukyas of Badami, Inscriptions of Kanchi, Kanheri caves, and the Jain sculptures of Kalugumalai at various THT forums.
Egypt has fascinated him since childhood. He fondly remembers writing about the Rosetta Stone in a manuscript magazine run by his younger brother and dreamt of becoming an archaeologist, engrossed in endless accounts of breathtaking discoveries. A few months ago, he served as a docent on his first trip to Egypt, guiding a group of heritage tourists from Chennai and abroad. Currently, he is teaching himself Egyptian hieroglyphs.
