BHUBANESWAR: For the first time, the two floors of the 11th century Lingaraj temple’s main deula (tower) will be examined for its structural safety. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), custodian of the temple, has decided to implement the work in the current financial year.
Constructed in Deula style, the main temple stands tall at 55 metres (180 feet) and comprises three floors with the sanctum sanctorum located on the ground floor.
“This is for the first time that we will attempt to reach the first and second floors atop the Garbha Griha to know if those parts of the shrine are structurally stable or not,” said ASI (Bhubaneswar circle) head Sushant Kar.
As far as interiors are concerned, conservation, so far, has been limited to the ground floor.
The temple complex is divided into four sections - Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum), Yajna Shala (the hall for prayers), Bhoga Mandap (the hall of offering) and Natya Shala (hall of dance) and the sprawling temple complex has 150 subsidiary shrines.
All four sections are aligned axially and descend in height. The walls of both the Deula and the Jagamohan are lavishly sculpted with architectural motifs and figures. There are stairs to the first floor above the passage connecting the Jagamohana and main temple.
The second floor of the temple can be accessed through four small openings (in four directions) just below the Beki (the neck) of the temple. Kar said there is nothing inside the two floors but examining it has become the need of the hour.
“We had not studied these two floors because there had been no stone dislodgement or any other structural damage unlike the other temples in the area. To ensure that the interiors are in good shape, we will conduct a laser scanning of the two floors to ascertain cracks and damages in the interiors of the monument,” he added. The resulting documentation will then be used to help plan conservation work if any is required.
For the exteriors, the ASI plans to undertake the photogrammetric survey of Lingaraj temple this year.
Photogrammetry is the science of measuring using photographs taken from multiple angles. Under this process, drones will be used to capture thousands of high-resolution photographs of the exterior walls of the temple from different angles, which can be used to detect cracks or any other damages.
“Both the studies will not only help in conservation but also save the monument’s data for future reference,” Kar said. The national conservation body has also written to the CPWD to check the condition of the lightning arrester installed on the temple and replace or repair it.