Urgent ASI Team’s Mission: Sand Removal from Konark Sun Temple Starts Soon | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: A technical core committee of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) visited Konark Sun Temple on Saturday to review the sand removal process from the sanctum sanctorum.
The core committee, under the chairmanship of ASI’s additional director general Jahnavij Sharma, along with experts from different institutes, discussed various issues and decided to start the process of sand removal ‘as soon as possible’, official sources said. The team also conducted a physical verification of the 13th century shrine, a Unesco heritage site.
“Various aspects of the process of removing sand and how to ensure the stability and safety of the grand structure were discussed. The process using the latest technology will begin at the earliest,” Sharma told media persons.
Dibishada B Garnayak, ASI’s superintending archaeologist (Puri circle), said, “From previous studies, it is known that there is a 5-ft gap between the sand from the top. A proper plan has been prepared after taking suggestions from experts in different fields. Utmost precautions will be taken before removing the sand, and we will also ensure visitors are not affected due to the process of sand removal.”
Sources said that to provide structural stability to the crumbling structure, the 70-ft high Jagamohan of the temple was filled with sand under the instruction of then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, J A Bourdillon, in 1903. Decision to remove the sand was made at a national conference on the conservation of Sun Temple organised by ASI at Konark in 2020.
ASI has already conducted several studies and surveys of the structure, including laser scanning, to get an idea. It has targeted to clear the sand within three years after starting the work.
The core committee, under the chairmanship of ASI’s additional director general Jahnavij Sharma, along with experts from different institutes, discussed various issues and decided to start the process of sand removal ‘as soon as possible’, official sources said. The team also conducted a physical verification of the 13th century shrine, a Unesco heritage site.
“Various aspects of the process of removing sand and how to ensure the stability and safety of the grand structure were discussed. The process using the latest technology will begin at the earliest,” Sharma told media persons.
Dibishada B Garnayak, ASI’s superintending archaeologist (Puri circle), said, “From previous studies, it is known that there is a 5-ft gap between the sand from the top. A proper plan has been prepared after taking suggestions from experts in different fields. Utmost precautions will be taken before removing the sand, and we will also ensure visitors are not affected due to the process of sand removal.”
Sources said that to provide structural stability to the crumbling structure, the 70-ft high Jagamohan of the temple was filled with sand under the instruction of then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, J A Bourdillon, in 1903. Decision to remove the sand was made at a national conference on the conservation of Sun Temple organised by ASI at Konark in 2020.
ASI has already conducted several studies and surveys of the structure, including laser scanning, to get an idea. It has targeted to clear the sand within three years after starting the work.
