Barely three months after the Jagamohan, the prayer hall facing the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple here, was opened for public darshan on completion of its repair works, servitors of the 12th-century shrine on Tuesday complained of leakage in the roof of the hall following incessant heavy rains.
Jagannath Sevayat Sammilani general secretary Kashinath Khuntia said, “During Mangala Alati darshan in the Garbha Gruha (sanctum sanctorum), I witnessed water flowing under my feet. When I checked to find out the cause of this, I saw water leaking from the roof on the Ballav Pindi making the Chandua wet.”
Due to the leakage, the Ballav Bhog of the Trinity almost got delayed. However, after the rain stopped, the servitors were able to perform the rituals, he said.
“We have informed the temple administration regarding the matter and also urged it to take up the issue with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which had earlier confirmed the “completion” of the repair works of the Jagamohan,” a servitor said.
Even as this incidence triggered concerns regarding hassle-free conduct of rituals and also the safety of the temple, servitors complained that officials of the temple administration or the ASI were yet to take stock of the situation.
Notably, the ASI had on March 6 filed an affidavit in the Orissa High Court stating that the repair works of the Jagamohan had been completed. The hall was thrown open for darshan by devotees on April 16 after remaining out of bounds for almost two years because of the repair works.
As per reports, the ASI had undertaken the repair works of the Jagamohan as far back as on January 27, 2016.