Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to send its best technical experts for repair and restoration work of the Jagamohan of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
“I seek your personal intervention to direct the ASI to send their best technical experts to undertake repair and restoration works of the Jagamohan at the earliest,” Patnaik urged Sharma in a letter.
Patnaik apprised that the Jagmohan of the 12th Century shrine has developed several cracks. After deplastering of the inner surface of the Jagmohan, it has been noticed that four column capitals and eight stone beams have serious cracks which might affect its structural stability.
“A core committee comprising structural engineers, representatives of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has suggested remedial measures after an inspection on February 7. It has recommended for providing additional support to the beams immediately for preventing further damage to the Jagamohan,” Patnaik added.
This stone column capital is five feet in length, four feet in breadth and is three feet thick. It approximately weighs around 4.5 tonnes. In case of this stone column collapsing, it’s apprehended that the entire Jagamohan will cave in.
During removal of dead plaster, four stone blocks have got dislodged from their position in the ceiling of the Jagamohan. Cracks have been observed in the ceiling where lime plasters have been removed.
In the meantime, the two stone blocks, which had got dislodged from their positions in the Jagamohan ceiling, have been reinforced with support of steel brackets as a temporary measure.