Tezpur, Oct. 11: The archaeological monument at Da-Parbatia in Tezpur, an exquisitely carved door standing amid the ruins of a Shiva temple, was damaged today during renovation by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Following the ASI “goof-up”, enraged people of Da-Parbatia village, who regularly offer prayers at the temple, assaulted members of the archaeological team, forcing police to rush to the spot to bring the situation under control.

Sonitpur deputy commissioner Sanjoy Lohia told The Telegraph that the district administration would initiate action against the supervising ASI official — senior conservation assistant Dilip Roy — for damaging national treasure.

Roy defended his actions saying he was carrying out the renovation according to “instructions”.

Though there is little left of the Shiva temple — built during Ahom rule — the carved stone door frame had withstood the vagaries of nature to remind visitors of the artistry of the Ahom-age sculptors.

The Shiva temple, said to be the oldest one dedicated to the deity in the region, was built on the ruins of an earlier brick temple dating back to the sixth century AD, roughly coinciding with the later Gupta period.

The finely carved door frame depicts Ganga and Yamuna in their myriad forms and is considered one of the finest specimens of religious art in Assam.

The Da-Parbatia gate is also considered a holy place and people from far-flung places throng the temple to offer puja.

ASI sources said today’s renovation was undertaken following the visit of K.N. Dikshit, director-general of ASI, to Da-Parbatia a few months ago for an on-the-spot study of the monument.

The sources said Roy, along with 10 labourers, was renovating the front of the Da-Parbatia gate when one of the pillars of the gate collapsed.

The ASI had taken over the temple ruins recently and is trying to convert it into a “better-looking tourist spot”.

The local people were not aware that the Union government department had devised a scheme to change the position of the nearly 1,000-year-old gate.

The local unit of the AASU joined the chorus of protests and demanded immediate restoration of the monument.