Union Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma on Monday reiterated his claim that the Sun Temple at Konark is in a good state of preservation and there is no threat to the structural stability of this World Heritage monument.
Sharma also said that a committee would be formed soon to seek expert opinion into the allegations over preservation of the Sun Temple raised by the Odisha Government.
“There is no threat to Konark Temple’s safety. The strength of safety as per the Newton index is 469 while this monument is 2323. It means the strength of safety factor is five times more. As per the MPA the level ought to be 1.4, Konark Temple’s is eight. It means approximately six times more safety factor,” Shamra said to mediapersons after attending a high-level meeting held here.
Further dismissing the media reports that original stone carvings at Sun Temple were removed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and replaced with plain stones, the Minister said: “Not even a single piece of stone has been removed” from the temple structure”.
He added: “After 1997, not a single plain stone has been fixed there. ASI looks after the conservation of 3,686 monuments. Out of these, 22 are UNESCO heritage sites. No change can be made in UNESCO site. Hence, there is no possibility of plain stones.”
However, the Minister said a committee, comprising international experts would be formed and it would submit its expert report within a month. “We would inform the State Government about the actions, if any, to be taken,” he added.
State Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, who also attended the meeting, said: “The Union Minister has agreed to look into various issues raised regarding the preservation of the Konark Sun Temple with the help of international experts.”