Bhubaneswar: The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) will start the laser scanning of Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri from Tuesday to determine the structural stability of the building.
The ASI is scheduled to undertake laser scanning of the outer and northern walls of the Ratna Bhandar. The northern wall forms the conjunction between Ratna Bhandar and the main temple. The Ratna Bhandar was built after the construction of the 12th-century shrine and the ASI will scan the walls for any minute crack and damage and document it.
The documentation will be helpful in evaluating the physical condition of the Ratna Bhandar and drawing a plan to conserve it. According to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Ranjan Das, the ASI will submit the laser scanning assessment report to the SJTA for review by a technical expert team.
Subsequently, the SJTA will draw up a plan for the repair of the Ratna Bhandar. The laser scanning of the outer treasury will be done on November 28, while the inner treasury and different Parshwa Debata temples will be scanned subsequently.
It is worth mentioning here that the ASI had written to the SJTA in 2018 and 2022 seeking permission to examine and conserve the Ratna Bhandar.
