Gaya, June 10: The Bihar Religious Trust Board (BRTB) chairman Kishore Kunal has served a showcause notice on the 11-member panel of the ancient Sun Temple at Deo in Aurangabad district.

The notice has been served following the recent installation of the statue of goddess Durga in the temple. The BRTB chairman has also sought explanation for not sending the audit report, board fee and the proceedings of the meetings held.

Kunal said if the reply of the temple committee is found to be unsatisfactory, the panel might be dissolved.

The Sun Temple at Deo, situated on the National Highway No. 2 in Aurangabad district under Magadh division, nearly 150km from Patna and about 90km from Gaya, is one of the ancient sites. The state government has announced it as a protected monument.

The notice of the BRTB chairman states that another statue should not have been installed without the consent of the religious trust board or any other authority concerned.

The Sun Temple at Deo is famous for its architecture, similar to the Konark temple in Orissa.

There is a similar Sun Temple at Osian in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, which was also constructed during the eighth century. Usually, the main entrance of Sun temples is in the east. But the entrance of both Deo and the Osian temples is in the west. It appears that both the temples were constructed during the same period.

A statue of the Sun god has been installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Besides, there are fiery symbols of the Sun god and images of other Hindu deities.