Cuttack: There is no threat to the world famous Sun Temple at Konark and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken appropriate steps to preserve the 13th century shrine, claimed Director General of the national conservator Usha Sharma in an affidavit filed in the Orissa High Court here Tuesday.
Sharma submitted the affidavit in connection with a PIL seeking proper conservation for the Sun Temple, a World Heritage Site.
In her affidavit, Sharma claimed that the ASI has been looking after the Sun Temple at Konark since 1938. The national conservator has introduced several measures to repair and conserve the shrine after consulting the Roorkee-based Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), said the affidavit.
The affidavit claimed that experts from the CBRI had thoroughly examined the structure of Sun Temple from February 17 to February 21, 2000 and reported that there was no threat to the shrine. “We have never removed any stone from the temple structure,” Sharma said in her affidavit.
Senior advocate Ashok Mahapatra, while representing the petitioner, urged the court to seek a detailed report on the CBRI survey on the Sun Temple.
Hearing both sides, a division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice Bishwanath Rath asked the ASI to submit a detailed report on an action plan prepared by the national conservator to repair the Sun Temple. The bench posted the next hearing of the case to January 21, next year.
Notably, advocate Dillip Mahapatra had filed a PIL in the HC claiming that there was a threat to the Sun Temple due to poor conservation.
Taking up the case, the HC had sought replies from the Centre, state and the ASI.