BHUBANESWAR : The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Bhubaneswar circle, has decided to implement facade lighting at Jagannath temple at Puri, Sun temple at Konark and Rajarani temple at Bhubaneswar.
To accentuate the temples’ silhouette, hundreds of LED lights will be fixed on the main structure and Meghanada Pacheri of Jagannath temple; the plinth, Jagamohana and Nata Mandapa (dancing hall) of Sun temple and the entire Rajarani temple. While work on Sun temple and Rajarani temple has recently started, that on Jagannath temple is scheduled to begin around next week. A technical team of the ASI visited the 12th century Jagannath temple on Tuesday and inspected the portions to be illuminated.
Arun Malik, Superintending Archaeologist of ASI, Bhubaneswar circle, said at all the three monuments, warm lights will be used since they would not adversely affect the temples’ facade. The new illumination system will use simple yellow and static lighting at all the three temples.
Facade lighting is a simple illumination arrangement in which the lamps throw beams directly on the front or surfaces of a monument to accentuate its silhouette, he added. Since power-efficient LED lights will be used, they will reduce electricity consumption by about 60 per cent in comparison to conventional light fixtures. Expenditure of the facade illumination and its maintenance will be borne by the ASI.
“While work on Sun temple and Rajarani temple, both non-living temples, will be completed soon, illumination of Jagannath temple, a living temple, may take up to two months”, Malik informed. The temples will be illuminated after sunset till they are closed. With this, the three temples will join a group of heritage monuments including Somnath temple at Gujarat, Golden temple at Amritsar, India Gate at Delhi, Gateway of India at Mumbai, Howrah Bridge and Victoria Memorial at Kolkata and Hawa Mahal and Jaisalmer Fort at Rajasthan that have been illuminated to encourage night-time tourism.
“The three temples were chosen for the lighting project because they have beautiful architecture and facades”, Malik said. Earlier, the Culture Ministry had proposed to take up the illumination of all its 100 Adarsh Smaraks all over India including Sun temple at Konark, Odisha.