BHUBANESWAR : The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Lingaraj temple administration on Thursday examined the shrine for any possible damage caused by severe rainfall and lightning on Wednesday.
While the ASI denied any structural damage to the 11th century shrine, the temple administration has decided to seek help from the R&B division of the Works department to check earthing of the monument.
Servitors had claimed that the flag on the temple spire was burnt and several electrical appliances in the monument and its subsidiary shrines went out of order due to lightning strike. They claimed around 20 CCTVs, inverters in two subsidiary temples, passage lights and bulbs were damaged in the lightning.
Chief of Brahmana Nijog Biranchi Narayan Pati said the existing earthing system of the temple was very old and could not bear the effect of the lightning.
NK Swain, ASI superintending archaeologist (Bhubaneswar circle), said a lightning arrester was installed at the temple in March this year by the Central Public Works department (CPWD), which saved the structure during Wednesday’s lightning strike. “The temple flag was torn due to heavy wind and rain yesterday and not burnt by lightning,” Swain said.
On the other hand, the temple administration officials, including additional district magistrate of Khurda Rudranarayan Mohanty checked the electrical damages. Seven bulbs had burst following lightning.
“But when new lights were installed today in place of the damaged bulbs, they worked. Hence, we are not sure if the earthing system is faulty or not. The R&B wing will submit its report and accordingly, measures will be taken,” he said.