Puri temple doors to get silver coating

Bhubaneswar: If everything goes as planned, the Jagannath Temple in Puri will shine brighter. The temple administration is contemplating silver plating on the wooden frames of eight doors. At least 800kg of silver may be used to coat the doors.
Artisans from Rajasthan will likely be engaged in the work, recently proposed in a meeting of the temple managing committee. A devotee has agreed to donate the silver.
Besides the four entrances of the temple, the Beharana dwar, Jaya Bijaya dwar and the doors of the outer and inner Ratna Bhandar (treasury) will be plated with silver, temple managing committee member Madhab Pujapanda said.
Temple sources said a leading jeweller from Bhubaneswar had recently created the design and contacted skilled artisans in Rajasthan for the job. At least a quintal of silver will be used for plating each door. Nearly 14-18 gauge thick silver covers will be given on each door.
“The managing committee said the proposal will be sent to the state government for approval. We will ensure that the silver coating work does not affect the rituals in the temple. The Archaeological Survey of India will monitor the work,” Pujapanda said.