Srimandir loss during cyclone Fani pegged at 5.1 crore

Puri: Cyclone Fani which made landfall near Puri on May 3 has not only battered the entire coastal district but also caused extensive damages to Jagannath Temple situated in the pilgrim city. As per information from temple management authority, the total loss caused by the cyclonic storm at the 12th-century shrine has been estimated to be Rs 5.1 crore.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Pradipta Mohapatra on Tuesday informed that after assessment of damages at the 12th-century shrine, it has been found that the cyclone has damaged electrical establishments worth around Rs 1 crore 25 lakh and apart from causing losses to civil infrastructure worth around Rs 3.24 crore.

"I have asked the ASI to undertake repair works in the temple and informed about the losses to the SRC, Law Department and the Puri district collectorate," said Mohapatra.

It may be noted that deity of Lord Jaya  gatekeepers (Dwarapalaka) at the Lion Gateway (Singhadwara), age-old Kalpa Bata Bruksha inside the temple ‘Bedha’ suffered severe damages during the cyclone. The lion idols on south and west side of temple and Sakhigopal and Baraha temples on the premises of the 12th-century shrine were also damaged after the scaffolding installed around the temple by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) fell off during the extremely severe cyclonic storm.