Puri: With sibling deities of Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri away for Rath Yatra, repair and renovation works of the shrine were started on Thursday.
According to sources, a team of officials from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), core committee of temple management and technical experts visited the temple to study the cracks on Garuda Stambha (pillar), Garbha Gruha (sanctum sanctorum) and Nata Mandap. If necessary, repair works would be carried out as per the recommendation of the team.
The team will also detect holes on the walls and floor of the Garbha Gruha which are used by mice to enter the place. Those holes would be covered with iron nets to control the rodent menace, the sources said.
The work of silver covering of the doors at Singhadwar (Lions Gate) of the temple was also started on the day. The old doors were removed and a set of temporary doors placed for entry of servitors and security officials for performing different rituals.
The steel frame of the doors prepared by a firm at Goregaon in Mumbai will be fitted at the Singhadwar. The wooden panels will be fitted to the steel frames which weigh around 5 quintal. Then the silver covering will be affixed to the door. A devotee from Mumbai has donated 1 quintal of silver for making the silver cover, the sources said.
In order to prevent corrosion of the silver cover, door bolt system will be put in place. As per the proposal, 8 doors inside the temple have already been covered with silver sheets.
The repair and renovation works of the temple were taken up as Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra of the 12th century shrine have left their abode to stay in Gundicha temple for 9 days.
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