Multiple cracks have appeared on the boundary wall of Jagannath Temple in Odisha's temple town of Puri. The Odisha government has sought help from the Archaeological Survey of India to repair the cracks in the Meghnada Pacheri, the boundary wall of the revered temple.
Servitors at the temple have raised concerns that wastewater from Anandabazar within the temple complex is seeping through these cracks. It has also been claimed that patches of algae have developed on certain sections of the wall, reported PTI.
Om Prakash Dash, a servitor at the temple said the boundary wall is "gradually becoming weak" due to water leakage and said "chances of its collapse can't be ruled out, reported Odisha TV. He also claimed that no action has been taken yet despite media reports on it.
Another servitor, Sachidananda Panda seconded Dash saying water has been constantly leaking through the Meghanada Pacheri since 2021 but "no action has been taken by the temple administration." "The repair and restoration work should be carried out immediately,” he added.
Concerned over the safety of the 12-century shrine, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has urged the ASI to undertake necessary conservation work on the wall.
"We are concerned about the safety of the Meghanada Pacheri. ASI officials and our technical team have already inspected the boundary wall, and we hope that ASI will soon carry out the required repairs," SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said on Sunday.
The temple administration comes under the Odisha government's law department.
State law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan reiterated the urgency of the situation adding that repairs would begin immediately to prevent any further issues.
He made a veiled reference to the impact of previous construction and demolition activities around the temple in the complex conducted by the former BJD government, noting, "Due to some mistakes in the past, such issues have cropped up."