In view of the precarious condition of the Jagamohan and falling of stones, construction of a new temple of equal size, structure and sculpture of the Shreemandir inside the temple premises in Puri is felt pertinent now by many.
This is also what former MlA Bibhudhendra Pratap Das has viewed considering sentiments of lord Jagannath lovers and demands from different quarters, including intellectuals and politicians.
“It has been demanded time and again to construct an alternative Shree Mandir in view of decay caused to the main temple due to years of wears and tears. But the State Government has vehemently denied such demands and proposals. Now the present condition of the Jagamohan, which is state to be precarious, has saddened lakhs of Jagannath lovers,” lamented Das in a statement.
He informed that the State Government had denied having any proposal to construct an alternative temple in the State Assembly while responding to at least two questions of MlAs in this regard. The then MlA Hrushikesh Nayak and MlA Amar Prasad Satpathy had put questions, he said.
Das suggested that the Government should take a positive decision to construct an alternative temple before anything happens to the 12th Century Shrine, and thereby protect sentiments of the Jagannath lovers.
He said there would be no crunch of funds for building such a temple as crores of devotees would come forward to contribute. He too suggested that the temple should be constructed in the Anand
Bazaar area within the temple premises. He urged the Government to consult with Jagadgur Shankaracharya, Mukti Mandap Pandits and experienced stone sculptors and take a decision. It may be noted that Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Suresh Mohapatra recently stated that the Jagamohan is in grievious condition which was revealed during inspection of weak points by ASI experts.