Cuttack, Aug. 30: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has informed Orissa High Court that restoration of Jagmohan of the Jagannath temple in Puri is yet to start since the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, has not finalised the design.
Giving an update in an affidavit, the ASI's regional director (east zone) Madan Singh Chouhan yesterday said that providing stainless steel box portal frame for supporting the stone beams had not started as "structural design for this is under way by the IIT, Madras."
Besides, strengthening of the stone columns (pillars) inside the Jagmohan by jacketing it with stainless steel sheets has not started as "design for this is being finalised by the premier tech institute," Chouhan said in his affidavit.
The issue of Jagmohan's protection reached the high court after Cuttack resident Abhisek Das had filed a PIL alleging that the Jagannath temple structure was in danger "due to inaction" of the state government and the Centre.
On August 17, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had, in an affidavit, pointed out that the ASI had not taken up any major repair works of the Jagmohan. At a meeting held on July 26 under the chairmanship of the Union ministry of culture secretary, it was decided to redesign the portal frame to extend support under the beams. Taking note of it, the court directed the ASI to give a reply to the temple administration's charge.
The court was hearing the PIL seeking the court's intervention for effective repair.
The ASI had planned to strengthen the pillar heads in the Jagmohan by confining it with stainless steel plates.
"An improved design for strengthening the pillars has just been received from IIT, Madras on August 20. The temple administration has procured materials for the ASI. Work will begin shortly," Chouhan said in the affidavit.
But when the ASI filed the affidavit yesterday, the court wanted to know the time needed to complete the restoration of the Jagmohan. The ASI said it expected to complete the work by the end of this year.
"The division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.R. Sarangi posted the matter to September 14 while directing the ASI to file a fresh affidavit indicating specifically the date by which the restoration will be over," central government counsel Chandrakanta Pradhan said.
Though Jagmohan's dilapidated condition had come to the fore in 2008 and an expert committee proposed the removal of lime plaster for undertaking conservation, the de-plastering took place in January this year.
After the plasters, which had got decayed inside the sloped walls of the prayer hall were taken off, cracks in the eight beams and four columns posing threat to the structure came to light.
According to experts, the roof of the Jagmohan rests mainly on four central stone columns supported with eight beams.
The sloped walls of four sides are called corbels having two layers (lower and upper). There are cracks on the beams due to which it fails to transmit load to the columns - which is a clear sign of a major distress and instability of the Jagmohan.