Twitterati Go Berserk Over ASI ‘Replacing’ Sculptures With Plain Stones At Konark Sun Temple

Bhubaneswar: A war is raging on Twitter over Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) allegedly replacing the erotic sculptures with plain slabs at Sun Temple, Konark, with many denouncing the restoration work.

It followed a tweet by the ASI giving a peep into the new Sun Temple after removal of iron scaffoldings.

“Under pretext of restoration all the erotic sculptures of Sun Konark temple has been reportedly disfigured. Reason provided: Schoolkids come here so it’s not appropriate for them,” said a Twitterati.

Another tweet said, “The ASI has deliberately and systematically destroyed the priceless stone carvings on the outer surface of the iconic Sun Temple causing irreplaceable loss to one of India’s cultural and architectural wonders.”

The Twitter users further said that 40 per cent of the stone carvings had been replaced by the ASI with plain stones. They also pointed out that the Odisha government had tried to intervene, but in vain.

In November 2018, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had urged highlight alleged irregularities in the restoration work in a letter to Union Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma.

The ASI has been quick to respond to these tweets. It said that plain stones were used where there was no evidence left and confirmed that no sculpture has been replaced. The ASI also corrected one of the Twitter user, saying that the images shared are from different locations. “The image with sculptures is from Natya Mandapa while the plain stones images are from the plinth of Jagmohana (the main temple),” it said.

The plain stone work shown in the image was done in mid1980s. ASI used plain stone only wherein there was no evidence left & as per ASI’s the then archaeological policy only such portions were filled with plain stones. ASI would like to confirm that no sculpture has been replaced pic.twitter.com/m4W7wjYkeJ

— Archaeological Survey of India (@ASIGoI) February 10, 2020