Vegetation and residential buildings pose a threat to the Swapneswara temple. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 3: Standing amidst a number of new houses, the Swapneswara Shiva Temple in the Old Town area of the city is a picture of neglect.

Repair work was carried out on the temple a few years ago, but the 50metre high structure requires regular maintenance. With vegetation growing on some portions of the dome and residential construction on in full swing around it, the 13th century temple faces threat both from the forces of nature and urbanisation.

Though believed to have been built by the last rulers of the Ganga dynasty as a place of worship, the temple has since long been devoid of any idol or deity.

The lofty structure may not have many intricate motifs or ornamentation, but the three mouldings that rise with the spire, are impressive pieces of architecture.

Unfortunately, local residents do not know even the name of this temple. “We have just seen it existing here. Since there is no deity and no worship, we have no idea of the name of the temple or its legends or history,” said a local resident.

Repaired by the Orissa State Archaeology under the X and XI Finance Commission Award few years ago, most part of the temple, that was in a dilapidated state, was renovated with new stones.

But the temple needs regular maintenance to survive the ravages of time, say locals.

“A lot of repair work was done sometime back. But the people living here were not instructed about the protection and preservation of the temple.

“Also, some vegetation has again grown on the dome and no officials visit the structure to keep a check on its condition,” said Rabindra Badu, a local resident, adding that installing a deity would have added life to the temple.

“Instead of having a deity or an idol, the sanctum holds a heap of sacks of construction material like stone chips,” said Badu.

The temple is surrounded by lawn grass and private residential walls. A number of broken structures from the temple have also been dumped around the monument. Stagnation of drain water close to the ancient structure is also a threat to the foundation, say experts.

“The foundation will grow weak in the long run due to stagnation of drain water. Immediate steps must be taken to save the monument from further deterioration,” said Sadasiba Pradhan, head of department of archaeology, Utkal University.

However, the Orissa State Archaeology is taking time to decide which structures would be given preference during the repair work that has been planned.

“We have shortlisted a number of monuments for repair all over the state. The work will begin soon,” said culture department secretary Ashok Tripathy.