CUTTACK: IN a status report submitted to Orissa High Court on Tuesday, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said a wide crack was noticed in the Natya Mandap of Jagannath temple in Puri. The High Court is monitoring the repair work undertaken by ASI at the shrine, while adjudicating a PIL seeking a judicial intervention for an effective repair and renovation of the temple.
In the affidavit, the ASI authorities stated that a major structural crack had appeared on the stone beam below the plaster while undertaking repair work of Natya Mandap. Besides appearance of a crack on the bottom pencil zone, the ASI has also noticed some structural crack during de-plastering work on the north-east side of Natya Mandap, the affidavit maintained. The core committee team undertaking the repair work apprehends existence of more cracks under the plaster and hence entire de-plastering of Natya Mandap is necessary for a detailed study, informed counsel for ASI Chandrakant Pradhan.
After going through the ASI affidavit, division bench of Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice BR Sarangi asked Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to submit an affidavit declaring how it will give time and space for execution of these repair work, besides directing ASI to file status report on the progress of repair work of Beharana Dwara while posting the next date for hearing of the case to January 17.