Jagannath Temple’s Jagamohan in precarious condition

Puri: With four pillars in a weakened state and multiple cracks in the walls, the Jagamohan chamber facing the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri is in a perilous and dilapidated condition.

According to sources, a special plan of action is necessary to restore the stones dangling by the iron plates used in the beams. The technical core committee met at the Secretariat yesterday to discuss the state of Jagamohan and steps to repair it.

“The Jagamohan is in a dilapidated condition, Vertical cracks have developed in the beams of the four pillars. Rusting in the iron beams has displaced some stones. The dowel bar reinforcements used to join the stones during the construction of the temple around 500 – 600 years ago have fallen prey to rusting, thereby pushing the stones out of their alignment. In some places, these stones are just hanging from the dowel bars. In a bid to find a permanent solution we will convene a meeting of the Chhattisha Nijog and the managing committee to discuss the extent of area which will be taken up for repair and the structural design. The members of the Archaeological Survey of India will be present and steps will be taken to ensure the structural stability of the Jagmohan,” said chief administrator of Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Suresh Chandra Mohapatra.

Earlier this week, expressing grave concern over the multiple cracks in the Jagmohan of Shri Jagannath temple, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb had laid emphasis on complete repair of the structure to ensure the longevity of the centuries-old temple.