Puri: The repair work of the beam on the Nata Mandap of Shree Jagannath temple in Puri has been completed, ASI informed Tuesday. There was a crack in the beam at the top of the Garuda Stamba. Four steel beams have been installed in the beam located on the south side of the Nata Mandap. The work was undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and work has been completed on war footing. The deadline was issued to complete the work by March 20. The beam work has been completed. Now, there is no problem for the devotees, said ASI Superintendent DB Gadaik. “Around 90 per cent of work of conservation at Nata Mandap is over. The rest of the works particularly plastering will be carried out during Ratha Jatra. There would be no threat to the structure and movement of devotees,” Gadnayak said. The Orissa High Court had ordered the ASI to complete the repair of Nata Mandap by March end.
The ASI started the repair works of Nata Mandap in February. The Chhatisa Nijoga had changed the schedule of some of the rituals to ensure hassle-free darshan of devotees during the work. Earlier, complying with the Orissa High Court’s direction to complete the repair work of Nata Mandap of Puri Srimandir by April, the ASI, February 23, started the repair works of beam cracks as the temple administration made a few changes to the ‘Nitis’ policy of Lord Jagannath and siblings deities for hassle-free darshan for devotees. From 3:45 am Friday, the repair work started from the Dwara Phita niti of Srimandir. Then at 4:25am Inner Shodha, 4:30am Mangala Alati, 4:35am Mailam, 5:20am Abakash Puja, 6:50 an Surjya Puja, 7:25 am Gopala Ballabh Puja, 8:15am Sakhala Dhoopa Puja, 10:55am Beshs Sesa, 11:25am Bhogmandap Puja and Madhyana Dhoopa at 12:10p.m. According to the decision of the Chhatisa Nijoga meeting, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out the restoration work of the Nata MNndap from 1 pm to 7 pm. To ensure that the devotees and visitors experience a hassle-free darshan while the repair works are underway in the Shree Jagannath temple, it was decided to change the timings of some nitis and start the repair work of Nata Mandap beam by ASI.