Puri: The iconic ‘Meghanada Pacheri’, the outer wall of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, urgently requires comprehensive and lasting repairs, as previous efforts have proven ineffective, with fresh water seepage now observed at multiple points threatening its structural integrity.
According to sources, dirty water from Anand Bazaar drain is seen leaking through cracks, slowly damaging the 12th-century shrine’s boundary wall made of laterite and sandstone blocks. Extensive moss growth on the wall also points to a long-term water leakage.
Servitors and devotees have expressed outrage over the moss growth due to water seepage, which they attribute to alleged negl
igence on the part of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the custodian of the temple.
Speaking to the media, SJTA security administrator Hemant Kumar Padhi on Sunday said that the temple administration has intimated ASI about the seepage. “The ASI had repaired the cracks last year. Water is leaking from the wall at some spots. Our engineering staff and the ASI will check for any leakages in the pipes and fix those,” he added.
About one year ago, maintenance, involving removal of the moss and sealing cracks via grouting, had temporarily halted the seepage. However, these measures have not endured, and new leaks have emerged in three separate spots on the wall near snana mandap.
In November last year, officials of the 12th-century shrine, had called on the ASI to carry out a scientific survey of the boundary wall for long-term solutions. The temple administration had also implemented temporary fixes by sealing entry points for drain water and installing a plastic pipe at the Anand Bazaar’s hand-washing zone to redirect flow to an external drain.