Cuttack: Orissa High Court has set one-week deadline for the Puri Jagannath Temple Administration to clear the air over opening of the shrine's prayer hall - Jagmohan - for the public.

On Tuesday, the court set the deadline after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) informed that structural work for renovation and strengthening of the Jagmohan had been completed.

In an affidavit, superintending archaeologist (Bhubaneswar circle) H.A. Naik said systematic scrutiny of the Natmandap (dancing hall) ceiling "needs to be taken up soon after Jagmohan is made open".

The ASI is to come up with a restoration scheme for the dancing hall after removal of the plasters from its entire roof ceiling and assessing the condition of beams in all locations. "A request has been made to the temple office for allowing access for necessary scaffolding, staging and so on for detailed inspection and arriving at appropriate methodology for repair and also to access the quantum of work involved," Naik said.

Accordingly, the temple administration has been advised to throw open Jagmohan for public by March end, Naik said in his affidavit.

"Taking note of it, the division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.R. Sarangi posted the matter to March 13, while giving the temple administration time till then to file an affidavit as to by what time it can open the Jagmohan for the public," central government counsel Chandrakanta Pradhan said.