Cuttack: The Puri Jagannath Temple administration has urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to come up with an alternative temporary support system for the cracked stone beam inside the natamandap of the 12th century shrine.

In an affidavit, the temple administration has informed the Orissa High Court that the temporary support system erected by the ASI below the distressed stone beam near Garuda stambha encroached on the area earmarked for the ritual of the deities.

In his affidavit submitted on Thursday, temple administration's executive engineer (civil) B. Ashis Kumar Subudhi said the ASI had been requested to "think of some alternative way of strengthening the cracked stone beam instead of blocking the path of deities by erecting steel columns on the floor".

The support system with "mild steel props" has been erected adjacent to the two pillars of the natamandap near Garuda stambha.

In the process, the ASI occupied 2.6ft space on either side of the pillars supporting the stone beam. The steel props have encroached upon the area specified for rituals.

But considering the structure's safety, the ASI was allowed to go ahead with it on "condition that these supports should be removed prior to the snanpurnima (June 28) as the balance space of three metres will not be sufficient for movement of the deities from the temple to the snanbedi and also during the car festival," Subudhi said in his affidavit.

The erected steel props "also reduce the space for darshan by the devotees," Subudhi added in the affidavit.

The temple administration has agreed to provide space for three days (February 21 to February 23) to the ASI for detailed inspection of the structural cracks that had appeared in the stone beam near Garuda stambha to arrive at an appropriate methodology renovation.

Taking note of the affidavit, the division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.K. Nayak posted the matter to March 6 for further monitoring of the work along with the progress report in the form of an affidavit by the ASI.

The ASI had maintained that the support system has been planned for the safety of the pilgrims while ensuring that no further damage is caused to the structure because of the de-plastering work undertaken earlier.

The court has been monitoring the repair work after amicus curiae N.K. Mohanty submitted a report on November 8 pointing out that condition of roof ceiling of the corridor near jay vijay dwar and that above the Garuda stambha needed urgent attention.