Brahmagiri: Officials of state Archaeology department Saturday visited Alarnath temple here to assess the damage caused to the shrine by cyclonic storm Fani.
A team led by Archaeology department junior engineer Prasanna Kumar Sahu visited the shrine to assess the damage.
According to sources, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds has damaged the plasters of the shrine at several places. Moreover, some minor cracks have come up in the main temple soon after the cyclone, sources said. “We had spotted rainwater seeping in at several places of temple including the sanctum sanctorum and Jagamohan during the cyclone May 3,” said a priest of Alarnath temple.
Apart from that, the cyclonic storm has damaged many beautification works on the shrine premises.
“Leakage of rainwater may harm the main temple. We would take immediate steps to repair the shrine,” Sahu said.
It is worth mentioning here that Alarnath temple has close link with Jagannath culture. Many devotees usually visit Alarnath temple during the Anasara ritual of of the Srimandir’s presiding deities.
As per Srimandir tradition, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra catch fever soon after the completion of Snanapurnima ritual. The deities undergo medication at Anasara Gruha (asylum for sick) on Srimandir premises. During the medication, no devotee is allowed to visit the deities.
As per the belief, Lord Jagannath manifests himself at Alarnath shrine to provide a darshan to the devotees during the Anasara ritual.
PNN
