BHUBANESWAR/PURI: The technical core committee of the Shree Jagannath Temple found cracks in the Gundicha temple at Puri during an inspection of the monument on Saturday.The panel led by Director of CSIR-CBRI Prof SK Bhattacharya, former chief engineer Bindheswar Patra and chief of the technical core committee NC Pal examined the temple and found cracks on three pillars and a beam of the Nata Mandap.
During conservation works for Rath Yatra this year, they had seen some structural damages to the columns and beam of the structure and as a temporary relief, the Nata Mandap was provided scaffolding support. A detailed inspection of the damages revealed the cracks on the pillars and beam that takes the load of the Nata Mandap.
Apart from the Nata Mandap, the Gundicha temple complex comprises a Vimana (tower structure containing the sanctum), Jagamohana (assembly hall) and Bhoga Mandap. Unlike the Shree Jagannath temple which is under the care of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Gundicha temple is under the control of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
Srimandir administrator AK Jena said a report on the damage and repair work proposal will be submitted to the State government and after its nod, work on fixing the cracks will be taken up. Jena further said that work on repairing the Srimandir structure from where a piece of sculpted stone fell on last Sunday, will be done by the ASI after Kartik Purnima.“Since the temple is currently overcrowded with devotees due to Kartik Purnima, work can only begin after it. We have handed over the stone piece to ASI,” he said.
The piece of stone had fallen from Majana Mandap located on the south eastern side of the Jagamohan of Srimandir. On the day, the technical core committee also held a meeting over the issue.ASI officials, meanwhile, informed that the piece that fell from the Majana Mandap of Srimandir is a corner stone.
“These stones are connected with iron clamps. When water enters the stones, there is oxidation which damages the clamps. We have noticed some damage in the iron clamp at this portion of the old structure and it will be repaired within 10 days,” said ASI Superintending Archaeologist (Bhubaneswar circle) Arun Malik.
Meanwhile, core committee member Bindheswar Patra said that a five-year comprehensive repair plan has been chalked out by the committee to conduct repairs of Nata Mandap of Srimandir besides the subsidiary shrines on the temple premises. Details about the repair plan will be submitted to SJTA soon, he added.