Puri temple develops cracks

BHUBANESHWAR: The Jagannath temple in Puri is coming apart. Time has driven a wedge above its Beheran Dwara, the inner gate through which the lord comes out, and several cracks have developed in a part of the central stone of the 12th century shrine. 
The authorities fear the temple could suffer severe damage in the days to come if immediate repairs are not undertaken.

A senior member of the shrine management committee said the damage came to light during an inspection by a high-level technical committee, which recommended that Archeological Survey of India (ASI) take up immediate repairs.

He said sea winds had widened the small cracks created by rain over the years, while white ants had eaten up much of the wood used in the temple. “We are trying to repair the damage on a war footing,” technical committee chairman Subhendu Kumar Ray said.

ASI, which is in charge of protecting the temple, has decided to change a number of stones inside it. The podium (ratna singhasana) on which the deities sit will also be repaired. Efforts are being made to complete the repairs in the nine days when the lords are on a sojourn outside the temple, Ray said.

ASI superintendent engineer RK Chaturvedi said efforts were being made to prolong the life of the temple. “We are using modern technology and applying non-ionic detergent and chemical conservations every year,” he said, adding, “but everything has its own life span.”
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