Knee-deep water surrounds the 8th century Vaitaal Temple in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: A priceless historical monument in the capital may soon fall prey to increasing urbanisation and the vagaries of nature.

Heavy showers have already damaged certain portions of the Vaitaal temple, situated at Old Town. To make matters worse, encroachment around the temple in the form of concrete structures have completely blocked the drainage channel used to carry rainwater out of the shrine. As a result, stagnant water accumulates on the premises, damaging the structure even further.

Priest Babuli Garabadu feels the state government, with help from the local administration, should take care of the conservation of monuments with the same kind of seriousness that was seen while the erstwhile rulers had been in power.

Sanjeev Mohapatra, a local resident of Old Town, said: “Last week, a foreign tourist slipped on the wet floor and hurt himself. If we do not protect our historic structures, how will we attract tourists?”

“Earlier, there had been a drain from the temple through which water used to flow into the Bindusagar tank. But with urbanisation, huge buildings came up in nearby areas, completely blocking the drain. Here, the civic authorities have an important role to play. They should pitch in and help the conservation wing of the government,” said Mohapatra.

“A part of the kalash (top pitcher-like structure to hold the temple flag) broke a few days ago. Incessant rain for the past several days might have damaged it,” Mohapatra said.

Sushanta Kumar Garabadu, another local resident, said five or six years ago authorities from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had installed a pump to extract water from the temple. However, it does not work.

“We have to approach the authorities first and ask them for help,” he said.

Former superintendent of the state archaeology Bijay Kumar Rath said: “Earlier, the city used to have an open drainage system to allow passage of rainwater. But, as the surrounding areas started getting crowded, the drainage channel got blocked.”

“The civic authorities need to work in tandem with the ASI in conserving the ancient monuments across the city. Although the original drainage channel of the temple has been blocked, we will hold discussions with technical staff of the ASI to revive the system,” said deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra.

Popularly known as Teen Mundia Mandir, the 8th century structure resembles the Parasurameswar temple in its architectural form. However, it is richer in terms of detailing. Fine carvings, particularly on the doorframe, are the highlights of the temple. Lord Shiva is the chief deity of this Shaivite monument. Other deities such as Goddess Kapali Kali are also worshipped here.