Puri: A 15-member ASI team Tuesday reached Puri for laser scanning of Jagannath temple’s Ratnabhandar (temple treasury), a source informed.
The team comprises 15 members and is led by ASI superintendent GB Gadnayak. It includes photographers, survey teams and other technicians.
The 15-member team includes a three-member technical group – an engineer and two technicians — from Mumbai.
According to the source, the ASI had sought the permission of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to carry out laser scanning of Ratnabhandar. The temple body had November 4 allowed the Central agency to go ahead with its plan to carry out laser scanning after Kartika Purnima.
As the town witnesses a huge footfall of devotees during the holy month of Kartika, the ASI was asked to begin the laser scanning after Kartika Purnima (November 28).
The temple body had also asked the agency to carry out the procedure without causing any inconveniences to devotees visiting the 12th-century shrine.
According to SJTA, apart from the outer Ratnabhandar, the central monument conservator will also carry out laser scanning of temples of subsidiary deities in the complex.
“If required, laser scanning of the inner temple treasury may also be allowed. The temple and district administrations will provide necessary cooperation to the ASI for smooth completion of laser scanning,” the temple body had said.
It is worth mentioning that following directives of the Orissa High Court, a 17-member team earlier visited Srimandir to inspect the structural stability of the temple treasury. However, the team had to return only after examining the walls of the outer Ratnabhadra as they could not enter the inner chambers due to the unavailability of keys.
In its report, the team had observed that the outer walls were damp and had multiple deep cracks. Later, following the high court direction, a high-level committee under the Chief Administrator was formed November 4. The committee decided to carry out laser scanning of the temple treasury from November 28.
PNN