Crack noticed in 'natamandap' of Jagannath temple: ASI to HC

In a status report submitted to the Orissa High Court today, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said a wide crack was noticed in the "natamandap" of the Jagannath temple in Puri.
The high court is monitoring the repair work undertaken by the ASI at the 12th-century shrine, while adjudicating over a PIL seeking a judicial intervention for an effective repair and renovation of the temple.
Stating that the repair work of the "beharana" (a portion of the temple) would be over by February next year, the ASI told the court in an affidavit that the crack in the "natamandap" (dancing hall) was noticed when its cement plaster was removed.

Notably, the high court-appointed commission of inquiry, headed by engineer-turned-lawyer Nagendra Mohanty, had informed the court last month that the condition of the "natamandap" needed immediate attention.