Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government Monday urged the Centre to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to send technical experts to undertake urgent repair and restoration of the Jagamohan of Puri Jagannath temple.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought direct intervention of Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma in this regard.
“I seek your personal intervention to direct the ASI to send their best technical experts in the matter and proceed to take up repair and restoration works at the earliest,” Patnaik said in a letter to Mahesh Sharma Monday.
“The Jagamohan of Shri Jagannath temple, the holiest shrine in the state and an institution of unique importance in India, has developed several cracks. After deplastering of the inner surface of the structure, it was noticed that the four column capitals and eight stone beams have serious cracks which might affect its structural stability,” Patnaik said in the letter.
A core committee comprising structural engineers, representatives of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had suggested remedial measures to restore the ancient structure. The committee had inspected this February 7 and recommended immediate additional support to beams to prevent further damage to the Jagamohan.
Several cracks have been spotted on stone column capitals, especially on the north-west side on which the Jagamohan’s ceiling rests.
Earlier, SJTA sources said ASI officials will replace eight decayed stones of Jagamohan with new ones.
“Our employees are now peeling off the white coat from Jagamohan. We can only ascertain the real status of the structure after removal of the white coat,” an ASI official said. SJTA sources said ASI engineers and technicians are preparing a blueprint for the renovation.
Expressing grave concern over the multiple cracks in the Jagamohan, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb favoured complete repair of the structure to ensure longevity of the centuries-old temple.
This stone column capital is five feet in length, four feet in breadth and is three feet thick. It approximately weighs around 4.5 tonnes. In case of this stone column collapsing, it’s apprehended that the entire Jagamohan will cave in.
In the meantime, the two stone blocks which had got dislodged from their position in the ceiling of the Jagamohan have been reinforced using steel brackets as a temporary measure.