HC seeks report on Puri temple repair work

CUTTACK: Orissa High Court on Monday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to file a status report on the progress of repair work on Nata Mandap (dance hall) and periphery temples on the premises of Srimandir in Puri by January 21.

Earlier, the court had asked amicus curiae NK Mohanty to file status report on the repair of Nata Mandap. However, the report could not be submitted in the court.Meanwhile, ASI’s counsel Chandrakant Pradhan submitted an affidavit apprising the court that repair work of the central beam of the Nata Mandap has already been completed. The online monitoring of the work is being conducted by experts of IIT-Chennai, the affidavit stated.

The ASI also stated that the repair work of six periphery temples has already been completed, while work on four others is on and will be completed by March.Hearing the case, Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra directed the archaeological research agency to submit the progress report by January 21.

The ASI had taken up renovation work of Nata Mandap on High Court orders that were issued after Mohanty submitted a report in November 2017 pointing to the condition of roof ceiling above the Garuda Stamba.