Konark Sun Temple restoration work advances with second core drilling; no risk of collapse, says ASI

The restoration efforts at the Konark Sun Temple have advanced further with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) completing a second round of core drilling inside the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. The scientific procedure is part of an ongoing assessment to determine the structural condition of the stone foundation at the proposed location of an underground tunnel.

According to officials, the latest core drilling was conducted 1.2 meters away from the first borehole made earlier this year. Officials confirmed that an 8-meter-deep and 6-inch-wide cylindrical core was successfully extracted parallel to the initial drill.

ASI teams have also collected the sand excavated from the sanctum, along with stone fragment retrieved during the drilling process, ensuring that all materials are preserved for thorough scientific examination.

These samples will be dispatched to IIT Madras and IMMT Bhubaneswar, for detailed scientific testing. The decision on whether to proceed with tunnel construction will be taken only after detailed expert analysis and reports.

Earlier core drillings had already revealed that the width of inner walls of the 13th-century Sun Temple are nearly 8 meters thick. Moreover, ASI officials have clarified that this substantial wall thickness provides strong evidence that the structure remains stable and that there is no risk of collapse.