The ASI has set a target to complete the work before March 20.
Speaking to the media, ASI superintendent DB Garnaik said, “The conservation work of the Srimandir Nata Mandap has already been started. Many components of its conservation work like roof-tightening and leak plugging have been completed. The only work left is the repair of the cracked beam.”
The ASI has discussed the beam repair with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, and nijogs/servitors who are looking after all types of rituals in Srimandir at a meeting recently and the work will start tomorrow, he added.
“All have assured cooperation during the repair of the Nata Mandap beam. No problem will arise during the repair work between 1 pm and 7 pm as no major rituals are performed during that period. A support beam will be placed under the cracked beam. The structural beam will be there to avert pressure during any structural imbalance or disaster,” Garnaik said.
Notably, at the recent Chhatisa Nijog meeting, it was decided that the conservation work of the Nata Mandap will be carried out from February 23 to March 19. To streamline the rituals, the Lion’s Gate will be opened at 2 am and the Ratra Pahuda will be performed at 11 pm.
At the meeting, it was decided that the conservation work of the Nata Mandap will be carried out from February 23 to March 19. The ASI will do the repair work daily from 1 pm to 7 pm. To streamline the rituals, the Lion’s Gate will be opened at 2 am and the Ratra Pahuda will be performed at 11pm.
Informing about the condition of the Nata Mandap repair work, Puri Collector Samarth Verma said, “The ASI will carry out repair work between 1 pm and 7 pm daily. They will start the work on February 23 and will complete it within 15 to 20 days. They have been given sufficient time to do the work properly.”
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When asked about the crack developed on the northern side of the Ratna Bhandar, ASI superintendent DB Gadanayak said, “The crack on the Ratna Bhandar’s northern wall is minor in nature. Its repair work will be taken up.”
Speaking to the media, ASI superintendent (Puri Circle), DB Garnayak said that the crack was an outcome of cabling and pipeline laid on the structure. “The crack has been inspected and the crack-ridden part will be replaced with a new stone structure in two or four days. Its design has been made,” he informed.
“The crack did not develop today but was seen long back. When cabling and pipelines were laid, the crack had developed then. Soil was deposited over it. During the Parikrama project, the soil was removed and the crack appeared,” the ASI superintendent said.
He further stated, “There is also a crack on the northern beam of the Garuda Stambha. The crack is five years old and has not spread further.
A support beam made of stainless steel is ready. We have set a target to finish the work by the Rath Yatra,” Garnayak said.
Some pieces of stone fell off from the engraved sculpture at another place. The crack has appeared at the place, which is part of Pidha Mandir.
Though the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been carrying out conservation of Srimandir for many years, culture and monument lovers wondered how the temple structure could develop the crack. The conservation has come under clouds.
ASI conservation assistant Jyotiprakash Pradhan inspected the part where the crack has appeared.
Speaking to OTV, Pradhan said, “The portion of the temple where the crack has appeared was covered with earth earlier. Parts of the temple sides were under encroachment. It is being cleared. Due to the Parikrma project, the earth was cleared and the crack has become visible. Now you see, scaffoldings are still there as the conservation work is still going on inside.”
The ASI officer also said that conservation work is in progress and this cracked portion will also be conserved.
A devotee who came from Jharkhand, said, ”The temple is part of our cultural heritage and symbol of faith. It should be conserved. We see stones falling off. The conservation agency should get it repaired.
Various outfits have demanded immediate repair of the structure.
Speaking to the media, the lawyer read out the ASI report and said that there is a sculptural image in the cellar.
"The ASI has said that there existed a large Hindu Temple prior to the construction of the existing structure. This is the conclusive finding of the ASI," Jain said while reading out the ASI report before media.
"The ASI report also said that based on scientific studies/surveys carried out of architectural remains, exposed features, artifacts inscriptions, art, and sculptures, it can be said that there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure," the advocate said citing the ASI report.
Hindu side advocate, Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, while speaking to ANI said, "ASI in its report has stated that a Hindu temple was destroyed and a Masjid was built on its remains."
A total of 11 people, including from both the Hindu and the Muslim sides, earlier in the day applied in the court to get the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi complex adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The concerned parties will have to submit an affidavit in this regard.
The development comes over a month after the ASI submitted its report on the Gyanvapi Mosque complex before the Varanasi District Court in a sealed cover on December 18.
After the report was submitted in the court, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi survey case, filed a petition before the court to make the ASI report public, arguing that the report "cannot be filed in a sealed cover."
However, the ASI had sought the postponement of the release of its Gyanvapi Survey report to the public domain. The panel had urged a Varanasi district judge to delay the disclosure, fearing that the report's content to the public would be inappropriate and fuel rumours and misinformation.
The ASI carried out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
The survey had begun after the Allahabad High Court upheld the Varanasi district court order and ruled that the step was "necessary in the interest of justice" and would benefit both the Hindu and Muslim sides in the dispute.
After the Allahabad High Court order, the Gyanvapi committee moved the Supreme Court against the order. The Supreme Court had, in August last year, refused to stay the high court's order on the ASI survey.
As per reports, the long-awaited laser scanning of the Ratna Bhandar of Puri Srimandir started on Tuesday. A 15-member team of the ASI along with architects, and experts in surveillance and photography are part of the laser scanning exercise. On Wednesday, laser scanning on 12 points of the north side and upper part of the Ratna Bhandar was carried out.
Speaking to the media, ASI superintendent, DB Garnayak said, “During the first day of the laser scanning and documentation of 37 points of the north-western part and north-eastern part of the Ratna Bhandar, some cracks were detected. The scanning on 12 points on the northern and upper part of the Ratna Bhandar was done today.”
He further stated that a report will be prepared which will be submitted to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Orissa High Court.
Mahant Ram Charan Das, a former member of the Srimandir Management Committee observed, “We appeal to the ASI to carry out the scanning carefully and properly. All are anxious to know what is inside the Ratna Bhandar. Scanning the outer wall will serve no purpose. There is a need for scanning the insides of the Ratna Bhandar.”
Notably, the temple administration had permitted the ASI for the laser scanning of the outer wall of the Ratna Bhandar to detect suspected cracks through which water is seeping inside.
“The Srimandir was crowded for some days. I hope the ASI is in the process to start its work from tomorrow,” he added.
He further stated that what could be done next will be decided after the report of the laser scanning of the outer wall is available. “We have told the ASI to scan the suspected cracks at some places where water is seeping through. All such places would be scanned,” he said.
On November 3, the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) gave its approval to the laser scanning of the Ranta Bhandar for repair of the cracks. Notably, following an order from the Orissa High Court in 2018, a team of 17 members examined the condition of the Ratna Bhandar, but they could not enter inside as the key of the Ratna Bhandar was not available.
In its report, the investigating team pointed out in its report that there were cracks on the wall and the wall always remained damp due to water seepage.
However, senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra observed that all have to wait for the laser scanning which is expected to pinpoint cracks on the Ratna Bhandar wall. What remains to be seen is how far the scanning will be helpful in detecting the condition of gems inside the Ratna Bhandar, he added.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Ranjan Kumar Das said that as the Srimandir is currently witnessing a huge rush of devotees in the holy month of Kartik, the laser scanning of the outer wall of the Ranta Bhandar will start from the day after Kartik Purnima, which marks the end of the month.
The SJTA administrator said, “The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has been assigned the task of laser scanning. The temple administration has held talks with the ASI. The laser scanning machine has been brought by the ASI, which will fix a suitable time to carry out the scanning, particularly after the crowds thin out.”
He added that the laser scanning will point out the problem or where the crack/s is/are on the wall of the Ratna Bhandar. “If a situation arises, the scanning of the inner wall of the Ratna Bhadar and the temples of the side deities will be done,” Das said, adding that the temple administration will extend all possible cooperation to the ASI during the scanning.
On November 3, the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) gave its approval to the laser scanning of the Ranta Bhandar for repair of the cracks.
Superintendent of ASI, DB Garnaik earlier informed, "The laser scanning of the Ratna Bhandar will be done in a phased manner so as to detect where cracks lie in the wall."
In the wake of the Orissa High Court’s direction on the restoration work of the Nata Mandap, an important meeting was held on Thursday. After the meeting, Das, while briefing journalists said the restoration work will start from tomorrow morning.
“Today, an NOC has been submitted to the ASI to start restoration work. From tomorrow, they will start preparing a working platform to conserve the cracked beams of the Nata Mandap near ‘Garuda Sthamba’. Because of Kartik month rituals and huge gathering of devotees, they may not get the time to work. However, they will work accordingly. After the Kartik month, they will get ample time. They have been permitted to work from 6 am to 10 pm. We have also deployed some staff to assist them in crowd management,” informed Das.
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He also informed that the repair work of Lord’s ‘Ratna Palanka’ will start from Friday and a target has been set to finish the work by ‘Pana Sankranti’.
“Though we are bound to follow the Orissa High Court’s direction, it is very difficult to work during the Kartik month. Since rituals are not fixed, the ASI will decide the nature of the work and the appropriate time of the work a day ahead after discussing with the commander,” said Madhav Mohapatra, Srimandir Managing Committee member.
The HC also ordered that the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will extend all possible cooperation to the ASI in the restoration work.
In its order, the High Court also said that the amicus curiae will monitor the repair work and will be submitting its reports every 15 days to the court.
The next hearing of the case related to the restoration work of Srimandir Nata Mandap will be held on December 4.
Speaking to the media, Alok Mohapatra, the counsel of the applicant, said that the division bench of the High Court held the hearing on the case about the Srimandir Nata Mandap in the presence of the ASI superintendent and the SJTA superintendent.
He added that the ASI superintendent submitted an affidavit about the restoration work of the Nata Mandap on Wednesday. The ASI and the SJTA superintendents told the court that as the holy month of Kartika is yet to end and the work on a step is underway; the restoration work will be started from January 24, 2024.
ALSO READ: Nata Mandap, Jagamohan in critical state, anything may happen: Orissa High Court Amicus Curiae
“The High Court expressed its displeasure over the delay in the restoration of the Nata Mandap and ordered the ASI to start the work from tomorrow and the temple administration will provide all cooperation in this matter. The court also said that it is the responsibility of the temple administration to ensure smooth darshan of deities by devotees and simultaneous hassle-free restoration work,” the counsel added.
"The ASI in its affidavit said that it will take 120 days to complete the restoration work with 6 hours of work every day,” Alok Mohapatra said.
The High Court had earlier appointed amicus curiae, N K Mohanty to submit reports about the Nata Mandap and the Jagamohan following a petition filed over the safety of the two structures.
A high-level Parliamentary panel has suggested this to the culture ministry in a recently released report.
Referring to footfalls at Centrally protected monuments, the committee on transport, tourism and culture recommended that the culture ministry "should make an assessment of the cumulative impact of all the ASI efforts towards attracting more number of visitors to ASI monuments and examine these efforts vis-a-vis the best global practices".
It has further suggested that state-of-the-art technologies being adopted by other countries in promotion of culture also need to be studied so that the same could be replicated in India as well.
The Rajya Sabha panel further sought to know about the fate of 50 missing Centrally protected monuments and recommended the ministry to direct ASI to initiate an urgent survey of such monuments in light of the lack of physical security instead of making it "as and when" matter based on the inputs of ASI field officers.
While appreciating ASI's efforts towards retrieving antiquities, the committee sought to be briefed about the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) being followed in this regard, especially the responsibility of upkeep and preservation of the repatriated antiquities including the role of respective states and the involvement of museum authorities.
The committee also suggested that the culture ministry should put in all efforts to allocate adequate funds to North eastern states.
The ministry should strive make an effort for 100 per cent utilisation of the budget grants available for promotion and awareness of it's varied schemes being implemented in North eastern areas, it said.
The committee further reiterated that there is a consistent decrease in the funds allocated to the North eastern states and it felt that the 10 per cent mandatory allotment should be revised as per the demands raised by individual states in North eastern areas.
The ministry must increase the said amount as per the requirements of states and cultural organisations for proper promotion of the programmes and activities to be undertaken in Northeastern areas, it stated further.
The ASI is conducting a survey in the barricaded area of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, excluding its sealed section, since August 4.
On behalf of ASI, standing government counsel, Government of India, Amit Kumar Srivastava, filed the application.
Srivastava said, "We prayed to the court to grant further eight weeks' time to ASI for submitting report of the survey of Gyanvapi mosque because the exercise is still going on."
"Our application was put up before the court of additional district judge (first). The application was listed. The additional district judge (first) directed to put the matter before the district judge for hearing," Srivastava added.
He also said that the court did not fix any date for hearing the matter.
Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, counsel for plaintiff numbers 2 to 5 in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi matter, said, "The survey is still going on. Therefore, the ASI has sought more time for completing the survey and submitting the report."
Mumtaz Ahmad, the counsel for Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) that manages the Gyanvapi mosque, said, "We will file an objection against it."
In compliance with an order of the court of the Varanasi district judge, the ASI is conducting scientific investigation/survey at the Gyanvapi mosque.
A team of archaeologists, archaeological chemists, epigraphists, surveyors and other experts are engaged in scientific investigations and documentation, the ASI's application said.
It also noted that the work related to the survey involves slow process and will require some more time.
On August 5, the court of the Varanasi district judge granted an additional four weeks to ASI to submit a report on the Gyanvapi mosque's scientific survey that resumed amid tight security on August 4 after the Allahabad High Court on August 3 vacated a stay and gave the go-ahead for the exercise. The Varanasi court ordered the ASI to submit report up to September 2.
The Varanasi court had ordered the survey on July 21 and initially asked for submission of the report by August 4.
In compliance with that order, the ASI had conducted the survey for more than four-and-a-half hours on July 24 after which the Supreme Court the same day (July 24) halted the exercise till 5 p.m on July 26 and granted liberty to the AIMC, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, to approach the Allahabad High Court.
When the mosque committee moved the high court on July 25, it extended the stay on the survey. The high court gave its ruling on August 3 and allowed the exercise to go ahead.
AIMC moved the Supreme Court against the high court order but the top court refused to stay the survey on August 4.
The court has fixed September 8 for taking up the application.
The ASI, at present, is surveying the mosque complex, excluding the 'wuzukhana' in which the purported ‘Shivling’ was found during a court-mandated survey on May 16, 2022.
The Varanasi district judge ordered this survey on July 21 on an application filed by the other four plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri case.
Anupam Dwivedi, the lawyer of Rakhi Singh, who is a founder member of Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh (VVSS), said that a 62-page application was moved before the court on Tuesday.
"In this plea, we have sought the ASI survey of the wuzukhana also by excluding the Shivling found in it, in order to bring the actual facts of complete Gyanvapi compound to light,” he said, adding: "The court has accepted the application and fixed September 8 as the date of hearing."
On July 21, district judge Ajay Krishna Vishvesha had directed the ASI to conduct a scientific investigation of the Gyanvapi mosque compound using ground penetrating radar (GPR), excavation, dating method and other modern techniques to determine whether it has been constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
This survey was to be conducted by excluding the 'wuzukhana' area, sealed on the orders issued by various courts on May 17, 2022, May 20, 2022 and November 11, 2022.
In view of the order, the ASI started the survey on July 24 but the survey was stopped after a few hours, as the Supreme Court allowed the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM) to move the Allahabad High Court for relief.
On August 2, the high court dismissed the plea of AIM after which ASI resumed the survey from August 4. On August 2, Rakhi Singh had moved an application before the Varanasi district judge to seek directions to preserve signs of Hindu temple on the premises.
Further hearing on this application will also take place on September 8.
In the Shringar Gauri case, first filed in August 2021, Rakhi Singh and four other women plaintiffs are seeking regular worship of Shringar Gauri and other deities in the Gyanvapi mosque compound.
This plea led to the court-mandated survey in May 2022 in which a Shivling-like structure was found in the ablution pond of the compound. This case has now been clubbed with seven other cases of similar nature and being heard by the Varanasi district judge.
In the photographs, taken during Endoscopic Investigation by the ASI, it can be seen that stone slabs and iron beams are in a hanging state.
The process of removal of sand from the Jagamohan (Assembly Hall) of the Sun temple at Konark had started in last January. The construction company engaged by the ASI had then erected a platform for the lift and fitted scaffolds using cranes. Later, the work had to be stopped due to some reasons.
Six months later, the process has resumed. From the last Sunday, the work of erecting scaffolds is underway. To remove sand from the temple, there is a mechanical system comprising a lift and a trolley is in place. This system will make the job of taking sand and stones out of the temple easier.
As per the information available, a tunnel measuring four feet by five feet will be made on the second ‘pidha’ of the temple’s western gate to reach out the sand. And through this hole, sand and debris will be taken out. The entire work is being monitored and executed by the ASI.
Notably, the British had filled the Jagamohan with sand and sealed it in 1903 to protect it from collapsing. This Sun temple is the only UNESCO world heritage site in the state.
If anything happens, it will have a deleterious impact on Srimandir as well, Mohanty stated.
Amicus curiae Mohanty’s report is based on the petition filed by a person regarding the safety of the Nata Mandap and the Jagamohan of Puri Srimandir.
Informing about the facts mentioned in the report, the petitioner’s advocate Alok Mohapatra said, “The amicus curiae has stated in his report that the main beam of the Nata Mandap is doing the job of a cantilever from both sides. It is in a pathetic state. Any mishap can happen at any moment.”
“He has also mentioned that no works are being carried out at the Jagamohan as the ASI has mentioned in its report submitted to the High Court. There are many works remaining to be done. The crack developed in the ‘pidha’ of the Jagamohan is also visible. And the layers of the stones have also been displaced. The iron beam is also getting damaged due to rust,” Mohapatra said.
Meanwhile, the servitors have expressed their concern, stating beautification works are being carried out outside the temple while the inside is getting hollow.
“The outside of the temple is shining but the inside is getting damaged. I demand if any artifact or stone design is damaged, replace them with similar designs immediately,” said senior servitor, Hajuri Krushnachandra Khuntia.
Another senior servitor Binayak Das Mohapatra said, “At a time when the Nata Mandap is yet to be repaired, the fate of the Ratna Bhandar can be understood. The ASI is doing nothing.”
“If the government is launching several programmes in the name of the Lord Jagannath, it should also be careful about the safety of the Srimandir,” rued Nrusingha Mohanty, a Puri resident.
When contacted over his mobile phone, ASI superintendent D B Garnayak said, “Cracks have developed but they are minor in nature. Like the repair work carried out at the Jagamohan, they would be repaired. For this, structural design engineers would give a design and it would be implemented only after our approval.”
The next date fixed for the hearing of the petition is September 13.
As per the sources, about Rs 80 crore has been sanctioned to carry out beautification on the 8.7 km stretch from the Atharanala bridge to the Huluhulia bridge and for the development of the Kanchi River. Facilities like a boating club, parking space, sitting arrangements, food court, and information center would come up on the stretch.
For this, 46.609 acre land is estimated to be acquired. Of the private land, while 12.746 acres have already been acquired, 7.776 acre land is still to be acquired. Similarly, for the second phase extension project of the Musha River, a total of 62.742 acres of 11 mouzas under Puri tehsil is to be acquired. Of it, 36.984-acre land is private land, and the rest 25.758 acres is government land.
However, the residents of the Puri district have raised questions about the administration filling up the Atharanala. If the Atharanala is filled up, where the boating facility would come up, they asked.
“The prospect of the boating facility is getting dimmer as the Atharanala is being filled up with sand,” alleged Prafulla Kumar Mohapatra, a Puri resident.
Another Puri resident Jyotiranjan Sahu said, “At the time of Nabaklalebara, it was announced that the boating facility would be set up at Atharanala. Nothing has been done to resurrect the canal (Atharanala).”
Three years ago, the state government announced a package of Rs 107 crore for the resurrection and development of the Musha River. The Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited (OBCC) (Division-II) is carrying out the work, but nobody knows when it will get over.
When asked, Puri district Collector, Samarth Verma said, “Under ABADHA scheme, a beautification project is underway at Atharanala. This contains the viewpoint, beautification of the bridge, and parking space. The OBCC, which is carrying out the job, has already received approval from the ASI. The committee is supervising the progress of the project. The work has already been started and we hope it would be completed soon.”
The survey began at around 7 am, ASI sources said. The ASI team members, along with the representatives of the Hindu petitioners to a legal dispute involving the mosque, were present inside the complex under watertight security arrangements.
The members of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee have boycotted the survey. The representatives of the committee who were to accompany the ASI team for the survey abstained from doing so.
The survey began after the Allahabad High Court on Thursday upheld a Varanasi district court order and ruled that the proposed step is "necessary in the interest of justice" and will benefit both sides.
The order came after the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee, representing the Muslim side to the legal dispute, moved the Supreme Court against the Varansi district court order.
The mosque stands next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Archaeologists are continuously researching and studying the sculptures, stone figures found from here. Many things that arouse curiosity have also been found here, whose secret may be unravelled in the coming years.
The ASI has included Benisagar in the list of 100 most prominent archaeological monuments of the country.
The place was first visited by Colonel Tickell of the British Army in 1840, and in 1875 AD, an historian J.D. Beglar visited Benisagar and found some sculptures here. On the basis of these idols, he ascribed the date of the site to 7th century A.D. Historian KC Panigrahi also published a paper in 1956 about the archaeological remains.
In 2003, the ASI carried out excavation here for the first time.
This place was named Benisagar because of a huge pond of size 300 by 340 meters, about which legend is prevalent in the local areas that it was built by a king named Beni or Benu.
Excavations carried out by the ASI towards the south-east and eastern embankment of this tank have brought to light many sculptural remains including two Panchayatan temple complexes, images of Surya, Bhairava, Lakulisha, Agni, Kuber etc.
Apart from these, a stone seal has also been found from the site, which has the inscription "Priyangu Dheyam Chatuvidya (Chaturvidya)", indicating there was a person named Priyangu, who was well-versed in the four Vedas. The script of the inscription is Brahmi and the language is Sanskrit.
Some scholars are of the view that the seal recovered from Benisagar shows that it was a centre of learning, where four Vedas were taught.
Moreover, the recovery of stones denoting Kama and copulation scenes, indicate that sex education was not a taboo during that time.
Historians believe that Benisagar must have been an area under the influence of Tantrism and Shaivism.
According to the website of the Archaeological Survey of India, it can be considered to be of 5th century from the epigraphic point of view. Based on the discoveries so far, it can be said that this site was inhabited from 5th century to 16th-17th century.
Benisagar is situated near the border of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
Professor Ajay Rawat, Head of the Department of History, AP College, Mayurbhanj, says that many kings ruled for many decades in the region adjacent to Odisha.
Excavations and remains found at Benisagar confirm that it must have been under the rule of the king of Odisha. The temple architecture here can be compared to the Rekha Deula type of architecture prevalent in Odisha.
During the scientific excavations carried out here in the years 2009-10 and 2019-20, stone panels depicting images of Agni, Ganesh, Mahishasura Mardani, Surya, Brahma, Shirochedak, Bhairav, Lakulish, Yamuna, Shivling were found. Apart from this, many sections of temple architecture such as door-jambs, branches and headboard, among others, were found.
These evidences have been placed in a museum built in Benisagar. At some distance from this museum, some remains of buildings belonging to the old civilisation are also present. Looking at their curved texture, it seems that there is an old time bath house.
Besides, the remains of the temple complex spread over an area of 50 acres have also been found here. A huge stone near the temple, which when striked by another stone produces sound of a bell. The guards engaged in the security of the archaeological site say that its sound can be heard up to a kilometer in the night.
The huge pond of 300 x 350 meters is special attraction of this place, which the villagers never dries up. While other ponds in the area often dry up in summer.
A view point is being made by the administration around the pond for the convenience of tourists, where they can sit and enjoy the beauty of nature.
The Union Government plans to provide necessary tourist facilities, including audio visual center, WiFi, Audiorail, Water Management System at the sites marked as archaeological monuments across the country.
As per reports, ASI Mamata Bastia was taking a bribe from a complainant to cooperate in a particular case when the vigilance sleuths trapped her.
The vigilance recovered all the money (Rs 15k) taken by Bastia.
A press release from the vigilance department read, “Mamata Bastia, ASI of Police, Saheed Nagar PS, Bhubaneswar UPD, Dist. Khurdha has been apprehended by Odisha Vigilance while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs.15,000 (Fifteen Thousand) from a complainant to help her in a case in which she was an Investigating Officer.”
Following the trap, the vigilance is conducting simultaneous raids at two locations on premises linked to Bastia.
The Vigilance has registered a case against Bastia and an investigation is underway.
The ASI had informed a division bench of the court headed by Chief Justice S Muralidhar that the repair and renovation work of the Jagamohan' (assembly hall) and Nata Mandap' (dance and song Hall) of the temple is complete.
It was scheduled to complete the repair work by March 31, 2023.
On another prayer of a petitioner regarding the opening of the Ratna Bhandar' (temple treasury) and making a fresh inventory of the items stored in it, the high court said the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had on December 23 last year submitted an affidavit on this.
The bench directed the SJTA to provide a copy of the affidavit to the petitioner, and asked him to file a reply on it.
The high court is also hearing another PIL filed by state BJP leader Samir Mohanty, in which the petitioner has sought its intervention with regard to opening of the Ratna Bhandar' and carrying out necessary repairs.
As per the allegations of the security guard, some people arrived today morning and demolished a portion of the boundary wall.
When confronted by the security guard, they told him that they were doing as per the direction of the corporator as a JCB machine would enter the compound to dredge a drain. When the security guard asked them to show the ASI’s permission letter, they failed to do so.
When contacted assistant conservator of ASI Sushant Gochhayat for his reaction in this regard, he said, “I had told the corporator over his mobile phone that he should first inform the ASI regarding the nature of work and wait till the ASI allows him to go ahead with the work. When we asked them to stop the work, they stopped it. But later, they resumed it, saying the Minister has asked them to do so. They must have obtained permission from the ASI before carrying out any kind of work. We have lodged a police complaint in this regard.”
On the other hand, the concerned corporator said the land belongs to the BMC, suggesting that they don’t need permission to carry out any work on the land.
“The land belongs to the BMC. Without knowing it, they (the ASI) had earlier constructed the wall. However, it has been done for the temple’s development. The temple’s Kedar Gouri tank construction work is underway. A portion of the wall has been demolished so that a JCB machine can go up to the construction site. Prior to this, the minister had also discussed with the ASI authorities and they had also given their permission,” said Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar, corporator.
“Since the plot belongs to the BMC, we will also lodge a complaint against them for constructing a boundary wall on the BMC plot,” he added.
ASI officials asserted the safety of Srimandir following an inspection of Garbhagruha, Jagamohan and Natyamandap of the 12th century shrine today.
ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak also accompanied Basa during the inspection.
As per the officials, there is nothing to worry about the safety of Srimandir as Garbhagruha, Jagamohan and Natyamandap are completely safe.
“We had a meeting of the core technical committee of ASI on June 12. Renowned engineers, architects and archeologists of ASI and some officials of the Odisha government gave their expert opinions on how to strengthen the conservation work of Srimandir. As per their suggestions, the conservation process of Srmandir will continue,” said ASI DG Kishore Basa.
“I assure that there will be no neglect in the safety and conservation of Srimandir,” he added.
Meanwhile, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak said that Iron riddles have been put up at certain places to prevent rodents from entering the Garbhagruha.
“The iron beams in the southern pocket of Srimandir have been replaced with stones. Wet and dry cleaning of Garbhagruha has been done as per the guidelines every year. Cockroaches and mice enter Garbhagruha due to dampness. We have conducted dry cleaning of Garbhagruha and put iron riddles at certain places to keep the rodents at bay. It’s difficult to find the entry point of the rodents. Let’s see what happens,” said Gadanayak.
“The safety and conservation of Srimandir are monitored by a core committee of ASI at regular intervals. There is nothing to worry about,” he added.
The ASI, identified as Gourahari Meher, was allegedly attacked by the villagers for misbehaving with a woman.
According to sources, Ratnakar Pradhan and his brother Subas Pradhan approached Subalaya police station after a fight broke out between them. While police accepted the complaint of Subas, the officials reportedly turned down the complaint of Ratnakar.
After accepting Subas’ complaint, ASI Meher came to the village in plain cloth for investigation and allegedly misbehaved with Ratnakar’s wife, sources informed.
Irate over the incident, the villagers chased and thrashed Meher. Ratnakar alleged that though he met and complained about the incident to Biramaharajpur Sub Divisional Police Officer and Sonepur SP, it yielded no result.
“An altercation started between me and my brother over chopping off of a tree. Later he (Subas) registered a complaint against me. But when I approached the police, they did not accept my complaint. When I was absent, the ASI misbehaved with my wife,” Ratnakar alleged.
On the other hand, the police have registered a case against seven persons of the village for attacking the ASI.
“When the ASI went to the village to investigate the matter, Ratnakar’s wife indulged in a verbal duel with him. Later, some villagers also attacked him. We have registered a case in this regard and necessary action will be taken,” said SDPO Dolamani Bhoi.
Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra was hearing a revision petition filed by Laxmi Devi and three others, who challenged the Varanasi court's order of October 14, 2022.
They had sought a HC direction to the ASI to conduct a scientific probe of the Shivling-like structure through carbon dating and ground penetrating radar (GPR).
Justice Mishra called the ASI official's attitude "lethargic" and said inaction had hampered the court proceedings.
However, the court gave the ASI DG a last opportunity to file a counter-affidavit in the case by April 17, the next date of hearing.
The HC observed, "Certainly, this lethargic attitude on the part of the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, is highly deplorable and such practice must be deprecated. The desired report has not been submitted as directed since November 2022."
"A high authority holding post of Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, controlling particular administration all over the country must know the seriousness of the matter and ought to respect the orders of the court, primarily of higher courts," the bench added.
The HC clarified that it will not permit any authority to occasion delay on the pretext of the submission of the desired report of the ASI.
Earlier, hearing the matter on November 5, the HC had issued a notice to the ASI, essentially asking the ASI DG, to give her opinion by November 21, 2022.
In its October 14 order, the Varanasi court had rejected Hindu worshippers' plea for conducting a scientific probe of the Shivling-like structure, reportedly found inside Gyanvapi mosque complex on May 16, 2022.
The Hindu side has been calling the structure in question a Shivling, while the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, has been terming it a fountain.
All the money will be spent within the 2023-24 fiscal. Bhubaneswar MP and BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi informed this after visiting all the 14 temples in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
As per Sarangi, almost Rs 1 crore will be spent on Lingaraj Temple while Rs 25 lakh will be spent to renovate Sisupalgarh and Brahmeswar Temple, Rs 30 lakh for Bhaskareswar Temple, Rs 25 lakh for Khandagiri & Udaygiri caves and Rs 20 lakh each for the development of Rajarani temple, Sukasari temple, Sahasralinga temple and Rameswar Temple.
Similarly, Rs 33 lakh and Rs 30 lakh have been set aside for Baital temple and Parshurameswar temple, respectively.
The fencing work of Papanasini tank is already underway at a cost of Rs 40 lakh. Rs 15 will be spent on the renovation of another pond nearby.
Well and pond at the Kedargouri temple will be modernised at a cost of Rs 3 lakh. Similarly, Rs 6 lakh will be spent on setting up a bio-toilet and repairing the footpath at Mukteswar temple.
“14 temples in Bhubaneswar will be renovated by the Central government and all the money will be spent by the ASI. Everything has been finalised today,” Sarangi said.
“I spoke with the locals, devotees and the priests. The Roshaghara (Kitchen) of Lingaraj Temple needs an immediate repair including three platforms inside the temple. There are two other temples behind the Lingaraj temple buried under the soil. They need excavation,” she added.
(Reported by Kapilendra Pradhan, OTV)
The land sharks have always set their eyes on the ancient fortified city of Sisupalgarh. In the latest incident, a portion of the boundary wall was found to have been cut. Taking note of the incident, the ASI took the matter up with the Tehsildar and the District Collector.
Notably, Sisupalgarh is a restricted zone where digging even a one-foot-deep hole is considered illegal. At this heritage site, a six-foot-deep excavation was done allegedly for constructing a drain.
“The land sharks cut the 2300-year-old wall of Sisupalgarh. It is seen as a major jolt to our culture and heritage. In this regard, we have already lodged a police complaint, demanding severe punishment against whoever is involved in it. If such rampant ingression continues, the day is not far off when there will be no sign of this heritage,” said Dibishada Garnayak, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI.
When contacted, Bhubaneswar Revenue Inspector (RI) Niranjan Nayak, said, “We have been creating awareness among the people to protect the garh (Sisupalgarh). Such illegal activities are generally carried out at night. So there is little scope for us to know who the culprits are. We have been asking people to oppose those who are carrying out such activities.”
(Reported by Alok Mohanty, OTV)
The accused police officer has been identified as Gopalkrushna Das. Das started his career as a constable in Berhampur.
He was promoted to the ranks of ASI and transferred to Jharsuguda where he served for more than 12 years. He is currently posted as the in-charge of Gandhi Square outpost in Brajarajnagar.
However, as per reports, Das was suffering from mental illness and had high blood pressure as well.
According to the head of the department (HOD) of Psychiatry, MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, Dr Chandra Sekhar Tripathy, Das is suffering from bipolar disorder. “Das first visited my clinic some eight to ten years ago. He used to get angry very easily and was undergoing treatment for this,” said Tripathy.
“I don’t know whether he was taking medicines regularly or not. But the type of disease he is suffering from requires regular medication. If a patient discontinues taking medicines, chances are high that the disease will resurface. It has been a year since he visited me for the last time,” added Tripathy.
The ASI’s wife Jayanti Das too confirmed his disease. She said he is suffering from high blood pressure and is taking medicines. “I don’t know he had any enmity with the Minister,” she said.
(Reported by Ashok Brahma from Berhampur, OTV)
The sand is set to be excavated after almost 120 years, to safeguard the temple structure, especially the Jagamohana.
This is a first of its kind operation which will reportedly take three years to complete and involves sophisticated technique.
As the first step to the operation, a private firm, BDR Constructions has started work on erecting an iron structure and a mechanical working platform on which lifts and trolleys will move to excavate sand.
Once the platform is set, in the second phase, a five feet high and four feet wide road will be constructed near the second 'Pidha' of the west gate through which the sand will be removed from the 'sanctum sanctorum'.
The process of sand removal is targeted to be completed within three years with the technical assistance of BDR company.
It is pertinent to mention here that that ASI had performed the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ rituals for the same in September last year.
Speaking about the operation, historian Anil Dhir said, “This is a kind of operation never ever has been undertaken anywhere in the world. If successful, it will be a textbook case. They will first remove some sand and observe its effect on the temple structure.”
“People have a notion that they will be allowed inside the temple after the sand is removed. But that is not the case. Like now, nobody will be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple ever. Moreover, the inside walls of the temple do not have any architectural beauty. Whatever, beauty it has, it is on the outside which is already in the open for the visitors to see. But I think, this is a welcome step by the ASI. And if everything goes right, the life of the Jagamohana will be increased manifold,” Dhir added.
For the uninitiated, the assembly hall of the Sun Temple was filled with sand by the British in 1903. It was then done so to provide stability to the structure.
In 2010, to ensure the safety of Sun Temple's sanctum sanctorum, several national and international archaeologists and engineers suggested removing the sand during an international workshop held in Konark.
Similarly, in 2015, the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee analysed the internal situation of the sanctum sanctorum through GPRS, laser scanning and endoscopy, and provided the assessment report to ASI.
(Reported by Sanjay Pati, OTV)
As per initial reports, the body of Pradhan was recovered from his residence at Padasahi near Nandankanan Zoological Park.
His body was found in a hanging state, sources said.
The exact reason behind Pradhan’s death is unclear. Senior police officials have reached the spot and further investigation in connection with the incident is underway.
Meanwhile, police have sent the body to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for post-mortem.
Sources in police said Pradhan was on duty yesterday and left for home at around 10.30 pm. He has an altercation with his wife and he might have taken the extreme step after the feud. But the exact reason behind the death can be ascertained only after the completion of the probe.
The ASI has installed LED lights at different locations to illuminate the black pagoda which is famous worldwide for its architectural marvel. But the way the lights have been installed has not gone down well with Pattnaik.
He has compared the lighting arrangements to that of an opera party and alleged that the present lighting arrangement is only doing harm to the beauty of the temple.
“When you look at the temple from a distance at night, a question regarding the lines of light on the temple wall will instantly come to your mind. I always welcome steps taken to illuminate the temple as per the specifications laid out in the Act. But I don’t think the present lighting system is doing any good to the beauty of the monument. The two lines visible on the temple are tarnishing the beauty of the monument,” alleged Pattnaik.
Opposing the lighting arrangements, Pattnaik had earlier taken up the matter with the ASI authorities through a Tweet.
Seconding Pattnaik's claim, Konark Suraksha Samiti also demanded the removal of present lighting arrangements.
“The stones on the wall of the temple have been damaged. The lighting has so been arranged as to hide the damages. We demand the real shape should be brought to the fore and the beauty of the temple should be enhanced,” said secretary, Konark Suraksha Samiti, Ramkrushna Mohanty.
One team of ASI led by its Additional DG, Janhwij Sharma and the other one constituting a group of experts from IIT Chennai led by Professor Arun Menon thoroughly inspected the cracks developed on the Nata Mandap of the temple today.
NK Mohanty, the Amicus Curiae appointed by the Orissa High Court to oversee conservation work of the Jagannath Temple, on Sunday spilled out the discordance between the teams while reviewing the cracks on the beam of the temple’s Nata Mandap.
Addressing media persons, Mohanty who was present during the inspection of the temple interiors said that while one of the team opined for repair of the beam the other one voiced to replace the beam altogether.
The Amicus Curiae, however, cleared the air over the disagreement that the final decision regarding the Nata Mandap’s cracks will be taken by the ASI core committee.
“Some suggested bind them (crack portions) together, others opined to fill them up. Some even said we should replace the beam. So decision will be taken by the core committee to ensure that the repair work is finished soon,” said NK Mohanty, Amicus Curiae.
But the assuring fact is that the extent of cracks witnessed on the Nata Mandap in 2018, almost four years ago, has not worsened a bit.
“The cracks have remained intact. No other variations have been noticed at all. ASI is carrying out repair works at around 20 places in Jagannath Temple,” said Arun Mallick, Superintendent, ASI Odisha.
But the big question remains why even after four years the cracks on such a vital portion of the temple have still not been repaired.
Amicus curiae Mohanty last reviewed the cracks in the temple after direction from Orissa High Court in September 17, 2022. According to ASI calculation, the renovation works of the Nata Mandap is scheduled to be completed by March 2023.
However, allotment of this target has not gone down well with a section of servitors and temple core committee members. They have raised apprehensions that the repair works which could not be taken up in four years cannot be completed in four months.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the issue, servitors and core committee members have demanded publication of white paper noting out comprehensive details on status of the damage to the temple structure.
Madhav Mohapatra, member of the Jagannath Temple Managing Committee said the tech experts should clarify as to what extent are the aberrations in cracks developing to the millimetre level every year. They should also publicise the results of the scan they undertook and its results during the inspection of Nata Mandap today, Mohapatra said.
The inspection was done in presence of amicus curiae NK Mohanty and ASI Odisha superintendent Arun Mallick. They were also accompanied by Professor Arun Menon of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai.
Along with the examination of the Nata Mandap crack, the team also inspected in detail the cracks which have emerged on the upper beams of Garuda Stambha.
Post the inspection, Mallick informed that the cracks haven’t widened. However, repair works will soon be initiated as part of the preservation of the heritage structures. “We have thoroughly examined the present condition of the Nata Mandap in presence of all senior officials and experts. The status of the crack remains the same as it was four years back. All repair works will be completed within the stipulated period,” said the ASI superintendent, adding that necessary discussions will be carried out with temple administration on basis of the current status report.
Earlier on September 17, amicus curiae NK Mohanty had inspected the status of Nata Mandap following the orders of Orissa High Court. Mohanty had stated that the repair work is expected to complete by March 2023.
As per reports, local ASI officials, entrusted with collecting tickets from visitors were allegedly involved in ticket recycling affecting up to Rs 50 lakh loss to the ASI coffers every month.
The issue came to fore after the ASI made surprise inspection of the monuments and its ticketing activities in July this year. Sources said, after finding a very low footfall at Konark and Khandagiri, Udaygiri in the tourist month of January, the ASI decided to review the same in July.
The RTI report revealed, the Sun Temple at Konark registered 41,000 tourist footfalls in January, 2022. However, after the inspection by the State officials of ASI, the tourist footfall suddenly rose four times, to 1.79 lakh in September, 2022. The money collection from tickets also increased manifold; from Rs 16.71 lakh in January to Rs 72.27 lakh in September.
Demanding probe, Bhagirathi Swain, a member of the local outfit, Konark Suraksha Samiti said, "Contrasting trends in tourist arrival at the Sun Temple calls for a thorough probe. I am sure, many skeletons will stumble from the closet if an impartial investigation is done."
Similar kind of ticketing trends were registered at Khandagiri, Udaygiri caves in Bhubaneswar as well. As per RTI report, the ASI protected monuments in Bhubaneswar witnessed over three-times more footfall in September than in January. While the caves recorded a mere 8000 tourists in January the number rose sharply to more than 25,000 in September after the inspection by the top ASI officials.
Speaking about the irregularity, Babuli Behera, a local shop keeper at Khandagiri caves said, "I have seen the security guards selling one ticket multiple times without scanning them at the gate. They also let visitors go without tickets.
"The recent inspection by the authorities have forced the security guards and local officials to mend their ways. Otherwise corruption was rampant until now," Babuli alleged.
It has been alleged that the sub-circle officials of the ASI at Konark and Khandagiri have been involved in ticket recycling, where they do not tear the ticket while collecting from the tourists and use the ticket multiple times by selling those to several tourists again and again. The technique drastically decreases the number of registered tourists, at the same time warming the pockets of unscrupulous local officials.
As per Historian Anil Dhir, the roots of this scam are deep. "If you look at the collection figures of Konark Temple, it will be made clear that there has been a massive irregularity in the ticketing system."
"Everybody is involved in the scam. Only the ticket checker can't do a scam at this scale. The local ASI officials are also involved in this," Dhir alleged.
However, the ASI refuted the allegations. Replying to OTV's queries, ASI Superintendent, Arun Mallick said, "There are no such irregularities in ticket collection. There are other variables in the theory and the data has been misrepresented."
It has been planned to remove sand from the assembly hall by utilizing ultra-modern technology. It has been estimated that the entire process will take three years to complete.
BDR Construction company will chalk out a mechanical platform for sand removal. Through this mechanical platform, sand and rocks will be removed from the 'garbha griha'.
In the second phase, a road will be constructed with five feet height and four feet width near the second 'Pidha' of the west gate, through which the sand will be removed from the 'sanctum sanctorum'. The process of sand removal is targeted to be completed within three years with the technical assistance of BDR company, informed an ASI official.
“We have been doing hard work for the last two years. We have done detailed documentation. After conferring with several engineers and people having expertise, we have formulated a safe system,” said Superintendent of ASI, Arun Mallick.
Further, he went on to add, "The aim is to remove sand which was filled in the sanctum sanctorum after opening the four gates and stabilise the 'Jagmohan' so that it can be opened for the general public.
“Besides a direction from the High Court of Orissa, we had also assurance from the Minister. Keeping all these in view, we have taken an initiative and started the work from today,” said Mallick.
When asked about the time required for the completion of the project, Mallick said, “It can’t be said as to how much time it would exactly take because there are some aspects that are not in our control. We are now setting up a mechanical platform so that the work can progress at a fast pace. The platform will be placed from where we will make tunnels.”
To provide only technical know-how, BDR Nirman Private Limited has been awarded the tender. None but the ASI staff will be engaged in sand removal work.
For the uninitiated, the assembly hall of the Sun Temple was filled with sand by the British in 1903. It was then done so to provide stability to the structure.
In 2010, to ensure the safety of Sun Temple's sanctum sanctorum, several national and international archaeologists and engineers suggested removing the sand during an international workshop held in Konark.
Similarly, in 2015, Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee analysed the internal situation of the sanctum sanctorum through GPRS, laser scanning and endoscopy, and provided the assessment report to ASI.
As per the assessment report, the sand in the main entrance of the sanctum sanctorum caved in around 17 feet. Even broken rocks were found on the sand.
While ASI has begun the sand removal process, experts have opined that such major steps should have been initiated much earlier.
"We welcome such a step, however, this should have been done 10-12 years earlier," said Anil Dhar, Historical Expert.
While the move is being hailed by all, demands have been raised to inform about the entire process to the public.
"As Konark's Sun Temple is iconic, every common people should be aware of the entire process of removing sand. Even, the steps taken for the preservation of the historical structure should be made public," said Ramakrushna Mohanty, Coordinator of Konark Suraksha Committee.
It is pertinent to mention here that, India has 38 UNESCO World Heritage Sites while Odisha has only one. It is the black pagoda, dedicated to Lord Sun.
Speaking to media, Jena said, “The ASI has sent the letter to the Chief Administrator of Srimandir on August 8. The letter will be tabled during the temple managing committee and next course of action will be decided and informed to the Law department.”
“No one knows what exactly is stored inside the Ratna Bhandar. A detailed inspection is required to find out what lies inside the treasure house of the Lords. The process which we followed in 2018 for Ratna Bhandar inspection will be adopted if the managing committee decides to go for a check,” Jena added.
Ananta Tiadi, member of Srimandir managing committee, said “All the members of the managing committee were part of Ratna Bhandar inspection which was carried out in 2018. During the survey, I personally felt that the inside chambers of the treasure house needs to be repaired.”
On the other hand, State Law minister Jagannath Sarka pleaded ignorance, saying that he is not aware of the developments pertaining to the Ratna Bhandar.
“I don’t have any idea about the ASI letter. After I took charge, Srimandir managing committee has never met for a meeting. However, all required actions will be taken,” Sarka added.
Notably on August 8, the ASI had written to SJTA Chief Administrator about its plans to inspect the treasure trove of Lord Jagannath.
In the letter, the ASI Superintendent had asked the Srimandir administration to take the required measures to open the 'Bhitara Ratna Bhandar' or the inner treasure chamber of Sree Jagannath Temple as it is not in a good condition.
A letter regarding the same also has been sent to the State Law Department and ASI DG.
It is worth mentioning that following the Orissa High Court's order on March 22, 2018, an attempt was made to open the Ratna Bhandar on April 4. A special team was formed to carry out an inspection, however, as the inner chmber's keys were missing , the treasury could not be opened. Then the team carried out an inspection from outside and reported that the physical condition of Ratna Bhandar was weak.
Earlier on July 6 this year, Puri king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb expressed his desire to see the Ratna Bhandar to be opened as soon as possible. He also raised demands for early repair of the Ratna Bhandar as its condition is not good.
Last time, the Ratna Bhandar was opened in 1978 and 1982.
While the demand for the opening of Ratna Bhandar is gathering steam, as mentioned in the letter written to the Chief Administrator, the ASI will inspect the treasury.
In the letter, the ASI Superintendent has asked the Srimandir administration to take the required measures to open the 'Bhitara Ratna Bhandar' or the inner treasure chamber of Sree Jagannath Temple as it is not in a good condition.
A letter regarding the same also has been sent to the State Law Department and ASI DG.
It is worth mentioning that following the Orissa High Court's order on March 22, 2018, an attempt was made to open the Ratna Bhandar on April 4. A special team was formed to carry out an inspection, however, as the treasury keys were missing , the treasury could not be opened. Then the team carried out an inspection from outside and reported that the physical condition of Ratna Bhandar was weak.
Earlier on July 6, Puri king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb expressed his desire to see the Ratna Bhandar to be opened as soon as possible. He also raised demands for early repair of the Ratna Bhandar as its condition is not good.
Last time, the Ratna Bhandar was opened in 1978 and 1982.
Paikaray, the investigating officer in the case, had demanded the bribe for adding stringent penal sections and charge sheeting the case, they said. Following the trap, the vigilance conducted a raid on the residential government quarter of the ASI at Reserve Police Colony, Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar.
The vigilance has seized the bribe money in presence of witnesses and registered a case against Paikaray under the Prevention of Corruption Act. She has been arrested and produced before a court, the officials informed.
Last month, the Odisha Vigilance had arrested a police inspector of Nabarangpur district while accepting Rs 20,000 bribe from one person to resolve a family dispute.
The site, which is spread over 17 hectares at Barpali in Bargarh district, has yielded numerous artefacts and antiquities.
The monumental discovery was made by the History department of Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur.
I am writing to seek your personal intervention in directing officials of ASI to take over the excavation and preservation of a recently discovered 2,000-year-old post-Mauryan site at Barplai in the Bargarh district of Odisha, Pradhan, the union education minister, wrote in the letter.
Pradhan said that around 60 students, research scholars and faculty of the department started the excavation on May 31, 2022.
The findings indicate that the site was a well-established early trade centre and further digging could perhaps reveal even more startling revelations, Pradhan wrote to Reddy.
Noting that such grand archaeological finding is rare and extremely vulnerable, Pradhan said that the ASI should take over the Barpali excavation site for better exploration, examination, analysis and security of the priceless antiquities and historical wealth.
The researchers from the School of History of the university have discovered stone tools, rare coins, pottery, weapons, artefacts, ancient bricks and ceramics. The tools were designed to hunt large wild animals.
Tearing into the State government, the BJP MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi said the government’s decision to move the reception centre beyond 100 metres suggests they had earlier violated the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
“At a time when the case was being heard in the Orissa High Court, why two petitioners went to the Supreme Court,” asked Sarangi.
“At the time when land was being acquired and buildings were being razed, the government had stated that it distributed Rs 700 crore among the affected people as compensations. We demand the government should publish the names of the beneficiaries and the amounts they received on public domain,” the Parliamentarian demanded.
At the same time, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while addressing a press conference, said they had all along been demanding it that the construction works should have been according to the law.
“The conclusion report of the Joint Inspection Committee formed by the High Court had caused worry as it clearly stated that construction works are being carried out by flouting rules. We had also demanded that the State government and the ASI should work in tandem, conduct GPRS and the State government should be careful enough so as to avoid any damage to our rich artifacts,” said Patra, adding they had also demanded for the State government to conduct a GPRS well in advance so that the ancient artifacts suffer no damage.
A bench comprising justices BR Gavai and Hima Kohli heard the two separate petitions filed by Ardhendu Das and Sumanta Ghadei alleging illegal excavation and construction work by the Odisha government at the temple.
The apex court has reserved its verdict till Friday after hearing the arguments of both the parties. The court was informed from the petitioners’ side how construction work under 100 metre prohibited area at Jagannath temple are carried out without the nod of the Archaeological Survey of India and the National Monument Authority.
On the other hand, three senior public prosecutors like Pinaki Mishra, Kapil Sibal and Advocate General were seen clearing the Odisha government’s side on the issue.
Petitioners’ lawyer Goutam Das said, “There is a threat to the complete heritage structure as excavation was carried out in prohibited area in gross violation of Section 20A of The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. Besides, we inform the court that the Central Committee had also submitted its report claiming the same. The state government is carrying out unauthorised construction work. This poses a serious threat to the structure of the ancient temple following which public prosecutors claimed that no constructional activities are in progress right now.”
At the outset, senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, appearing for the petitioner, said there’s a clear embargo that there can be no construction in the prohibited area. “The state government did not even take permission to construct in the regulated area,” she submitted.
The state, she said, got a no objection certificate from the National Monuments Authority (NMA) and went ahead. She said the NMA could not have granted a valid certificate and this is something only the director of archaeology in the central or the state government can do.
Advocate General for Odisha Ashok Kumar Parija submitted that under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, the authority is the NMA, and the competent authority has been notified to be the Odisha government's director culture.
“Construction does not mean repair or remake existing structures or clean the sewage, drains etc. This is how it is understood and DG ASI also understands the same way.
“Grant of permission was by director culture... director culture of the government of Odisha is the competent authority. What was prohibited within 100 metres was construction. The concept plan of the state aims to provide amenities and beautify the temple,” he said.
He added that 60,000 people visit the temple everyday and there is need for more toilets.
“The amicus curiae in the case pointed out there was a necessity of more toilets and court had issued directions in that regard,” he added.
Fundamental rights cannot be availed in violation of any status of the land, the archaeological body clarified in an affidavit.
"The basic principle of protection/conservation is not to allow starting of any new practice in a monument declared and notified as a protected one under the Act. Revival of worship is not allowed wherever it is not practiced at the time of protection of a monument," it said.
"It will be contrary to the provisions of the AMASR Act, 1958 (Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act) to agree to the contention of the respondents or any other person claiming a fundamental right to worship in this centrally protected monument," it said in the affidavit.
The submissions of the ASI came during the hearing the appeal challenging the rejection of a suit alleging that the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid situated within the Qutub Minar complex in Mehrauli was built in place of a temple complex.
Earlier on February 22, allowing the appeal, Additional District Judge Pooja Talwar had sought the response of the Union of India through the Ministry of Culture, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, and Superintending Archaeologist, Delhi Circle, ASI in the matter.
"The Qutub Minar is not a place of worship and since the time of its protection from the Central government, the Qutub Minar or any part of the Qutub Minar was under worship by any community," the ASI said in its affidavit.
During the course of the hearing, ASI's counsel submitted that the apprehensions of the appellant were misplaced as the agency was not contemplating any removal or shifting of the idols as of now. Shifting of the idols would involve various permissions from different agencies, and have national implications as it would amount to a policy decision, counsel clarified.
The appellant alleged that around 27 Hindu and Jain temples were desecrated and damaged in 1198 under the rule of Slave Dynasty ruler Qutub-Din-Aibak raising the construction of the said mosque in place of those temples.
The ASI, in the submission said that there is no denial of the fact about the deities presence. It stated that the architectural materials and images of Hindu and Jain deities were reused in the construction of the Qutub Minar Complex.
"This is very clear from the inscription in the complex which is open for public viewing," it said.
In an exclusive conversation with OTV, ASI Superintendent Arun Mallick said, "I have repeatedly told the State officials that Sri Jagannath temple in Puri is a culturally viable place and the area near the Srimandir is highly rich in ancient materials. So, there is high possibility of finding archaeological remains during digging in the area."
"The Srimandir was built in 12th centry and since then, the area has developed. So, every bit of Puri is part of history. There has been no missing link as there has been a continuous cultural and societal expansion," he said.
Concerns have been expressed over the Srimandir Heritage Corridor project following the recovery of a huge ancient broken stone sculpture resembling a lion during digging and excavation works on the premises of historic Emar Mutt in Puri on May 16.
Today, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra even criticised the State government for allegedly ignoring the advice of ASI. “Why the advice of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was ignored and ground-penetrating radar survey (GPRS) and impact assessment study were not undertaken at the site before carrying out the digging activities resulting in the damage to the antique sculpture,” asked Patra on Wednesday while addressing a presser.
Following an outrage by intellectuals and Puri locals after the lion sculpture was left unattended in the debris near the site for more than a day, the ASI Superintendent today visited the site and inspected the sculpture.
After the review, Mallick said, “I have come here after receiving a letter from the OBCC this morning. I have examined it as a preliminary study. I can make further comments on the sculpture after a thorough lab report.”
“However, from the preliminary study, it can be said that the sculpture belongs to the Ganga era,” Mallick added.
The Gangas ruled the eastern part of India between the 5th and 15th century. The territory ruled by the dynasty consisted of the whole of the modern-day Indian state of Odisha as well as major parts of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
They are most remembered as the builders of the world renowned Puri Jagannath Temple, and the Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Konark.
It may be mentioned that an ancient sculpture was found in two pieces (damaged during the excavation). Locals alleged that a ground-penetrating radar survey (GPRS) was not undertaken at the site before carrying out digging activities for which the antique sculpture got damaged.
The decision was taken at the Project’s Cultural Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting held on Wednesday, informed the Srimandir Managing Committee on Thursday.
As per the information, a slew of decisions involving the project was taken in the meeting which was chaired by Puri King Gajapati Divyasingha Deb.
The proposed outer access road to the project will be moved out of the project area and will be constructed after acquisition of more land. This apart, some more changes will be done as per the direction of ASI DG, the Committee said.
Keeping the religious sentiments of the devotees in view, the construction will be held in such a way that the view of the Temple is not obstructed for the devotees.
The Parikrama Project for which the State government has been facing continuous attacks from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its legality, is a part of the ambitious Srimandir Heritage Corridor.
Earlier on Wednesday, the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court in the pilgrim town had ordered filing of case against Puri District Collector, Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation (OBCC) and Tata Projects. Hearing a petition filed by an advocate over the ongoing project, the court had asked the Singhadwar Police to register the case.
Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had told the Orissa High Court that the deep excavation and construction works undertaken by the Odisha government most-probably have damaged the archaeological remains around the 12th century shrine.
The Odisha government came under fire following the filing of the ASI affidavit in the HC. The Opposition also wasted no time in targeting the government for allegedly carrying out the project without obtaining the necessary permission from the ASI.
Shortsighted arrangements were introduced for devotees to gain entry to the temple, hardly appreciating that Srimandir was very different from temples elsewhere and it was sheer bureaucratic myopia that thrust a wholly unnecessary devotee-entry arrangement. While common devotees faced scorching heat and long waits to gain entry, people with connections including officials had privileged entry. Widely-publicized reforms have not improved the temple experience of devotees.
Ancient buildings owned by private individuals under valid rights for generations close to the temple were acquired to create a sanitised zone for the safety of the Temple. Hundreds of owners surrendered their ancestral properties. While the public was made to believe that a sanitized zone of about a 100 metres around the temple would be developed as vacant space, the government unfolded its secret agenda of a Parikrama Project involving public expenditure of over several thousand crores.
The area vacated through land acquisition and by pulling down of ancient mutts came under the prohibited area under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. As per the Central Act, no permission, including carrying out any public work or project essential to the public or other constructions, could be granted in any prohibited area on or after the date on which the AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2010 received the assent of the President.
Yet the Odisha Government launched a blatant act of violation of the Act by commencing machine digging in the prohibited area and immediately undertaking reinforced concrete work and laying huge foundations for a comprehensive building programme. Apparently a “No Objection Certificate” of ASI DG was relied upon while the Act specifically prohibited any construction. The No Objection Certificate is violative of law.
A PIL has been filed with the Orissa High Court regarding construction/ development activities underway within the prohibited Area of Puri Jagannath Temple. The High Court directed that the ASI will, after examining the petition, file an affidavit in the court. 'It will be open to ASI to undertake a joint inspection of the construction activities going on at present in Shree Jagannath Temple complex after advance intimation to the temple authorities'.
Joint inspection was accordingly made. It was found that construction work of the Srimandir Parikrama Project was in progress, which falls, in parts, within both the Prohibited and Regulated areas of the centrally protected monument. During the inspection, the team visited the work site of various structures like toilets, shelter pavilion, cloak room, electrical room, reception centre and Shri Jagannath temple administration building, etc.
Managing director of executing agency, OBCC, during discussion informed that as on date there was no permission or approval of NMA/ Competent Authority available for structural activities and its design of Srimandir Parikrama Project. The Managing Director further informed that, there were deviations in plan and elevation as well in the project design, which they had already submitted to NMA on July 15, 2021 before a presentation was made before the NMA on August 17, 2021. In the revised proposal, height of various structural units had been increased and more units have been added. At several locations, it was evident that removal of about 15 to 20 ft stratified deposits had taken place, which has caused irreparable damage to the heritage site. During the discussion, OBCC officials were clueless about the method of soil removal and cultural findings from the digging.
It was informed during the discussion that no Heritage impact assessment studies have been conducted before commencement of the project. No Ground Penetrating Radar Survey (GPRS) have been conducted to ascertain the archaeological and historical importance lying buried in the subsoil of 75m radius (Construction Zone) of Centrally Protected Monuments.
The conclusions of the ASI were:
(i) the ongoing construction work of the Srimandir Parikrama Project has no valid permission / NOC issued by the Competent Authority.
(ii) The drawings and structural designs included in the revised DPR are different from the one presented to NMA. Frequent changes have been noticed.
(iii) There is every possibility that the agency (OBCC) during the excavation/soil removal might have destroyed the archaeological remains of the heritage site.
The report was placed before the High Court which heard the parties and fixed another date for further hearing. The court has not stayed the ongoing work. The order has evoked reactions from different quarters. Media reports indicate that the government would go ahead with the work.
The basic issue of flouting of the central law has still not been addressed with the seriousness it deserves. There has not been right appreciation of the serious issues raised by the ASI in its conclusions regarding the possible destruction of archeological remains in the heritage site and that there has been no permission for the heritage corridor project. The development has hurt sentiments of millions of devotees of Mahaprabhu Jagannath while serious concerns prevail over the government's obsession which some feel is iconoclastic.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. The author can be reached at lonewalker.1942@gmail.com)
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The Srimandir Parikrama Project, a populist programme by the BJD government, has triggered a groundswell of protests within and outside the state. The controversy has taken on political hues with both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) finding themselves on either side of the issue.
The issue has also found echo in Parliament when Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha MP Aparajita Sarangi attacked the state government’s move, saying the excavation had no approval of the ASI nor the National Monument Authority (NMA). The state government, on its part, refuted the Sarangi’s assertion and said the heritage work had due permission from the concerned authorities. Since then, every political party, worth its salt in the state, has jumped into the ring.
The joint inspection report of the Regional Director (eastern region), ASI has said excavation has taken place within the prohibited and regulated areas of the protected monument which is a clear violation of the NMA.
The report said the Managing Director of the executing agency Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation (OBCC) said as on date there is no permission or approval of NMA or any competent authorities. The MD said there are deviations in the plan and elevation as well as in the project design which the agency has already submitted to NMA on July 15, 2021. In the revised proposal, the height of various structures has been increased and more units have been added.
The report has said at several locations, it is evident that removal of about 15 to 20 ft of stratified deposits have taken place, causing irreparable damage to the heritage site. The report pointed out that during discussion, OBCC officials were clueless about the method of soil removal and cultural findings from the digging. It was informed during the discussion that no heritage impact assessment studies have been conducted before commencement of the project.
It said, no ground penetrating radar survey (GPRS) has been conducted to ascertain the archaeological and historical importance lying buried in the subsoil of 75 metre radius of the centrally-protected structure. The superintending archaeologist, Bhubaneswar circle, said that the revised DPR of the heritage project was submitted by the SJTA on April 6, 2022.
Further, the DPR is silent on the redevelopment and renovation of mathas located around the monument. During discussions, OBCC stated that there was a provision of constructing a khandalite masonry wall around the temple at a distance of 46 metre, but the details are not mentioned in the DPR.