The stone that fell from the Kapileswar temple (at the backdrop) on Wednesday in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 30: A technical team of the State Archaeology today visited the 14th century Kapileswar temple at Old Town following falling of a stone from the temple top yesterday.

A temple priest said that yesterday, a small stone had fallen from the chhapara (middle portion of the main temple) of Lord Kapileswar.

A local resident said that nearly a month ago, a large stone had fallen from the sidewall of the chhapara of the shrine, built with the Kalingan style of temple architecture.

Chhapara is built below kalasa and amla or the two topmost parts of the main shrine called rekha deula. There are three distinct temple styles in the Kalingan architecture — rekha, pidha and khakara.

Niraj Kumar Chhotray, managing trustee of the temple and divisional inspector of the endowment department for Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts, said: “The falling of two stones within a month’s time shows that the shrine is indeed in a very bad shape. The temple needs immediate attention. Last year, I wrote a letter to the State Archaeology to take some steps, but they have not done anything.”

Legends say Lord Kapileswar is the maternal uncle of Lord Lingaraj and all rituals on the latter’s temple premises are held after getting approval from Lord Kapileswar.

Kapileswar priest Baishnab Panda said: “The temple complex is famous for some rare inscriptions and have tremendous implications for archaeological studies, but the State Archaeology is yet to take it up any conservation drive. While the main temple of Kapileswar has developed some cracks, the side temples (parsva deula) of Maa Dakshin Kali and Parvati on the premises are also under threat.”

Sevayat Pradip Malia pointed at several cracks on the temple doorframes made of stone.

“Devotees visit the Kapileswar shrine in a large number. The paduka kunda (collection pond of the temple) near the Parvati temple collects hundreds of litres of liquid offerings and there should be an outlet for its exit. The liquid waste is also threatening the stone walls,” he said.

Priests and servitors working in the temple could not remember the time when the premises was repaired last. “I am 84-year-old now, but I cannot tell you the year when a repair work was conducted in the past,” said Panda.

Old Town resident S. Vikas Kumar said there should be proper signage for the temple, so that devotees visiting Lingaraj would get know the direction to the Kapileswar.

Vikas Kumar visited the Kapileswar temple today with his family to perform a ritual.

Superintending archaeologist of the State Archaeology B.P. Ray said: “Today, one engineer, one curator and one junior engineer visited the temple to collect information on its condition. After analysing their report, the next course of action will be decided.”