Even as the Archaeological Survey of India and Punjab tourism authorities have been restoring various heritage buildings in and around Amritsar, Panj Temple, about 25 km from the holy city, lies in a state of neglect.

More than one-and-a-half-century-old Panj Temple comprises four small temples of lord Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha and Surya in as many corners with the main temple of lord Krishna and Ram at the centre.

The temple was built during the reign of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh and has been a rich treasure trove of resplendent frescoes of Hindu deities and first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev.

However, the invaluable frescoes have been decaying due to lack of knowledge among the inhabitants of the area. The lower portion of the walls, which were adorned with priceless frescoes, of the three of the four temples, have been ignorantly whitewashed by the caretakers of the temple. A small temple-like structure situated opposite to the temple lies closed and is in a shambles.

In the absence of any check, some locals have even constructed their houses around the temple, which is now under private possession. The present owner, Mohinder Pal, is said to be the descendent of the former priests and caretakers of the shrine. He says the family lacks enough resources to restore the wall paintings in its original form. He claims that the frescoes got damaged due to moisture and the wall paintings in the Shiva temple have been whitewashed in the absence of any conservation plan.

"The structure of the temple, especially the four domes, which are made up of Nanakshahi bricks, is a unique style of architecture," says Dr Balwinder Singh, a conservationist and head of the department of Guru Ram School of Planning, Guru Nanak Dev University. He says the structure is of great importance and needs to be safeguarded from the mindless urbanisation. The fort-style temple is built in Mughal style with domes on the top.

The floor patterns are a testimony to the fact that it was constructed during the Renaissance period in Punjab, he says. Similar floor patterns have been found in the historic Ram Bagh garden, Gurdwara Baba Atal and Pul Kanjri.