BHUBANESWAR: Restoration of the Jagannath temple’s Jagamohan, the hall facing the sanctum sanctorum, will finally take off in February. The work is expected to be completed in four months before Snana Purnima.
The technical core committee on conservation matters met here on Wednesday to finalise the modalities of the restoration and repair work. Chaired by Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, the panel decided that the project would be executed by the Odisha Works Department under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Earlier, ASI had informed the Orissa High Court about the approval of the design and plans for repair and renovation of the Jagamohan. Safety measures suggested by IIT Madras were also accepted and ratified by the director-general of ASI.
As per the plans, a steel frame would be installed in the Jagamohan to strengthen its structural stability. Tenders for making this steel frame have already been invited. Steel plates with 12 mm thickness would be procured before fabrication work is taken up. After fabrication, ASI will remove stones from the floor of the Jagamohan in the first week of February.
As per the design, steel beams will be installed after the foundation is set in concrete. Since the foundation of the hall would have to be dug up to address structural issues, it was decided that the Works Department would take up the exercise under the supervision of ASI so that no damage is caused to the Jagamohan or its architecture during the restoration work.
The procurement and fabrication process is expected to be ready by the end of January so that repair work can start in the first week of February and completed before Snana Purnima next year, Mohapatra added.