PURI: The temple Chief Administrator SC Mohapatra on Friday asked the District Magistrate and Puri SP to investigate into the chariot climbing case.
Earlier on Wednesday night, a servitor of Jagannath temple, Kalijuga Artatran Pratihari, was suspended by Mohapatra for allowing a woman devotee atop the chariot of Lord Jagannath on Monday before Adapa Pahandi of the Lords. This was in violation of the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) decision not to allow devotees climb the three chariots.
After getting the reports from the officials, Mohapatra said, legal opinion would be sought from the State Government about steps that need to be taken against the offender as per the IPC.
On the other hand, Devi Subhadra’s Badagrahi Ramchandra Dasmohapatra has demanded judicial probe into the episode of a devotee climbing the chariot.
‘Jagamohan Roof Severely Damaged’
The roof of Jagamohan of the 12th century Jagannath temple is in a poor condition.
This was revealed by the expert team comprising structural engineers, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials and members of SJTA, who inspected the Jagamohan on Friday.
Following the finding, the temple Chief Administrator SC Mohapatra sent a letter to the Director General of ASI, apprising him of the condition of the Jagamohan. He pointed out that north west portion of the inner roof was severely damaged.
The experts had found that a number of stones in the roof were damaged and cracks had developed on the lintel and pillars. Mohapatra has requested the Director General for long term repair and conservation of Jagamohan and chemical treatment of the cracks. Earlier on Wednesday, the false ceiling in Jagamohan was dismantled.
Meanwhile, work on cleaning of moss and carbon deposit from the sanctum sanctorum is likely to be completed soon. On Monday, the team led by AP Gupta, former head of Civil Engineering department of IIT-Kharagpur, had found a thick layer of moss on the inner walls and the roof.
They said this was the result of high moisture content in the hot steaming food that is offered to the Trinity a number of times in a day and the respiration of thousands of devotees who enter the sanctum sanctorum to offer obeisance to the deities.
Repair work of the two inner doors in the temple - Jai Vijay and Kalahat - is over. Installation of the cooling system in the sanctum sanctorum will be completed by July 29.
Two machines have been installed at the Jhulana Mandap of the temple with pipe connections extending to the Garbha Gruha. While one machine would infuse cool air into the sanctum sanctorum, the other one will exhaust humid air.
Engineers of MECON, a subsidiary company of SAIL, had earlier chalked out a design to infuse cool air and exhaust humid air from the sanctum sanctorum at an estimated cost of `25 Lakh. The company has now assured the temple administration of doing it free of cost.
Nandighosh Given South Turn
The Nandighosh chariot of Lord Jagannath was given a south turn called ‘Dakshina Moda’ and parked in front of the Nakachana Dwar, the exit gate of the Sri Gundicha temple, on Friday.
The two other chariots of Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra were given ‘Dakshina Moda’ on Thursday evening. Preparations have also been started for the Trinity’s Bahuda Yatra on Sunday. The ‘Sandhya Darshan’ of the deities inside Gundicha temple will continue till 7 pm on Saturday, informed temple PRO, Laxmidhar Pujapanda.