TV
The second round of technical survey of the Puri Srimandir Ratna Bhandar concluded a day before the schedule, informed Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administration Arabinda Padhee on Sunday.
Speaking to media, Padhee said, “The second round of technical survey of the Ratna Bhandar carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been completed today. It took around 4 hours and 5 minutes.”
“The technical survey was conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) under the leadership of scientist Anand Kumar Pandey. It was carried out employing the latest technologies. As it is a scientific survey, it will take some days to get the report,” Padhee added.
“Once the report is ready, NGRI will give it to ASI and ASI will hand it over to SJTA. Later, SJTA will present the report before the State government. Based on the report, we will further consult the experts and accordingly, ASI will carry out the repair and restoration work,” he added.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday afternoon began the second round of technical survey of the treasure trove of the 12th-century shrine.
The first round of the survey was held on September 18, when a 17-member technical team of ASI led by its Additional Director General Jahnavij Sharma conducted the preliminary inspection of Ratna Bhandar and its laser scanning.
The team also comprised experts from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad.
On September 18, the SJTA had written to ASI requesting for completion of the technical survey by September 24 in view of special rituals of the deities during Dussehra and 'Kartika' month. The rituals for Durga Puja will commence at the temple on September 24.
The SJTA had also requested ASI to submit the survey report within the stipulated time.
Earlier, the temple administration shifted all valuables and jewellery from the outer and inner chambers of Ratna Bhandar and stored them in a temporary strong room within the temple premises.
