Leaking Jagannath Temple Roof: ASI Completes Inspection, To Decide On Mode Of Repair

Puri: The joint team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which concluded the three-day inspection of the Nata Mandap of the Jagannath Temple here on Wednesday, said it will take a decision on the mode of repair to fix the leakage.

Talking to the media, member of the joint inspection team and former director of ASI, AK Patel, said there is crack on the roof and two column capitals of the Nata Mandap. As a result, the water leaking from these places has entered the Nata Mandap as the lime coat put on these joints has eroded.

“We will have a meeting at the Pantha Nivas here this afternoon to decide whether the steel box frame which was installed at the roof joints of the Jagmohan, would be used for the repair of the Nata Mandap roof,” he added.

Executive chairman of the ASI Technical Core Committee Dr GC Mitra said a thorough inspection of the Nata Mandap roof and the beam has been made. “We are thinking of other alternative methods for repair of these cracks that have appeared at these places,” he pointed out.

Former ASI superintendent of the Odisha Circle, PK Rath said, “Of the two column capitals of the Nata Mandap, there is a minor corrosion in one. But it will not pose any threat to the temple. If necessary, we can replace the column capital.”

Asked about the mode of repair the ASI will take up to fix the leakage of water from the roof joints of the Jagmohan, Nata Mandap and Jaya Vijay Dwar, he said the committee has decided to remove the concrete plaster from these areas and put up a fresh one to solve the problem.

While the Nata Madap was examined by the chairman of the ASI Technical Core Committee AP Gupta and executive chairman Dr GC Mitra on the first day, Head of the School of Conservation of IIT-Kharagpur and Prof Amlan Sengupta of IIT-Madras carried out the inspection on the second day.

The leakage from the Nata Mandap roof was noticed during the Rath Yatra in July this year.