Konark concerns over the safety · Concerns over the Safety in Konark
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Concerns over the Safety in Konark
Concerns over the Safety in Konark
Although Archeological Survey of India (ASI) are working on the restoration of this maginificent heritage structure implemented with masterly touch illustrating diverse themes arrest the attention of the spectator yet concerns were raised by different quarters in Orissa over the deteriorating condition of the Sun temple.
Legends describe load stone on the top of the Sun temple. Due to its magnetic effects, vessels passing through the Konark sea were drawn to it, resulting in heavy damage. Other legends state that magnetic effects of the load stone disturbed ships' compasses so that they did not function correctly. To save their shipping, the Portuguese voyagers took away the load stone, which was acting as the central stone and keeping all the stones, and the iron columns used to hold them walls together, of the temple wall in balance. Due to its displacement, the temple walls lost their balance and eventually fell down. But there is no record of this occurrence in any historical records, nor is there any record of the existence of such a powerful load stone at Konark Temple.
But the Konark Surakhya Samiti (save Konark committee) said that falling down of stones from the 13th century monument had turned “into a regular feature”. Chunks of masonry have fallen off at regular intervals. On September 19, 1998 a two-tonne cornice stone on the northeastern side of the jagmohan fell off onto a ledge. The interior of the jagmohan has been sealed off ever since 1951, when conservation work on the monument was seriously taken up for the first time. The walls were shored up from the inside and the interior was filled with sand to prevent imminent collapse—such was its tenuous state.
One reason why no major steps are being taken by the ASI officials is for fear it might lead to the total collapse of the crumbling temple.
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Konark Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.