Berhampur, July 30: The one-and-a-half-century old Jagannath temple at Dharakote, which looks similar to the famous shrine in Puri, is wallowing in neglect.

A root of a neem tree near the kalasa or crown atop the temple has penetrated into the foundation stones and walls of the grand monument. Cracks have developed at various places in the garuda bakhara or the outer part of the sanctum sanctorum.

Several major cracks have also appeared at the joint of mohan bakhara or sanctum sanctorum near the garuda bakhara, while a few minor cracks have developed on the stonewalls of the temple.

The entire structure of the temple is crumbling under the impact of explosions in a stone quarry located half-a-km away from the heritage site, said a local resident.

Ashok Kumar Gouda, a resident of Dharakote who has done extensive research on the Jagannath cult in the village, said that Raja Rajendra Singh (1759-1780) started constructing the temple while it ended during the reign of Raja Raghunath Singh (1831-1863).

Gouda further said that Raja Jai Singh (1732-1758) first started worshipping Lord Jagannath at Dharakote. He had installed the idol of Dadhibaman in the temple of Lord Brundaban Chandra inside the royal palace. He had also organised the rath yatra after constructing a temporary Jagannath temple near a Hanuman temple.

But Raja Rajendra Singh, brother of Raja Jai Singh constructed three deities and installed it in a thatched temple near the lion’s gate of the palace. This thatched temple and the three deities were gutted during the rule of Raja Krushna Singh (1781-1788). He built three new deities in neem wood and installed it in a small temple, while his grandson Raja Raghunath Singh gave the finishing touch to the present temple.

The 70-ft high temple stands on a 215-sqft area near the 600-year-old royal palace. The specialty of this temple is that it consists of 49 miniature temples atop the main structure. The main temple, which resembles a chariot, is made up of red stones and there is no plaster on its outer side.

The temple also has a six-ft high five-headed Hanuman statue standing on two demons and holding a human head in one of his 10 hands.

Local residents alleged that the government had not taken any initiative to preserve the archaeological marvel. “It is a wonderful piece of architecture and is also a busy shrine. We appeal to the concerned authorities to take steps to look after this monument,” said Gouda.