Bhubaneswar: Several cracks have been found on the pinnacle of the main structure at Lingaraj temple here.
Besides, many other structures at the 11th century shrine including Parbati temple, Jagamohan, kitchen, Bhogamandap, Vishwakarma temple, Bhubaneswari temple and Ganesh temple are in a state of dilapidation. Cracks have been detected on the roofs and walls of these structures.
The Odisha state Endowment Commissioner has urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to look into the issue at the earliest. In his six-page letter to the ASI superintendent, Odisha Endowment Commissioner Chittaranjan Mahapatra has pleaded for better care to Lingaraj temple.
In his letter, Mahapatra claimed that at least eight thousand devotees visit Lingaraj temple on a daily basis. Besides, lakhs of devotees congregate at the shrine during festivals like Shivaratri. However, the ASI authorities have been neglecting the temple for last several years.
According to Mahapatra, the interim managing trustee of Lingaraj temple trust board and executive officer of the shrine have raised the issue with the ASI authorities several times but to no avail.
The ASI officials have also failed to maintain cleanliness at the sanctum sanctorum and Bhogamandap of Lingaraj temple, said the letter.
The Endowment Commissioner has sought the intervention of ASI to remove encroachments around the shrine.
As per the existing norms, no construction is allowed within 100-metre radius of the temple. However, many shops and other structures have come up in the prohibited zone, claimed the Endowment Commissioner.
He has asked the ASI to coordinate with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Khurda district administration and police to remove encroachments around Lingaraj temple.