Stone falls off Srimandir mandap, none hurt

Puri: A stone weighing about 35 kg fell from the Jalakrida Mandap situated in the premises of Jagannath temple here this morning. Though no one was injured, it created panic among the devotees.

Sources said the incident occurred at around 10.30 am near Bimala temple. “There was nobody near the mandap when the stone fell,” a temple servitor said, adding structural weakening of the stone’s base could be behind its fall.

The authorities of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is in charge of conserving and maintaining the 12th century temple, are investigating the matter. However, a series of stone-falling incidents in the recent years has raised questions over effective maintenance of the shrine and the safety of the devotees.

In 2011, a 1-tonne stone had fallen from the dome of the western gate of the temple injuring a visually challenged person. A similar incident had occurred in October 2012 when a stone fell from the structure and broke into pieces.