PURI, Nov 28: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) technical team on Tuesday conducted laser scanning of the outer walls of the Ratna Bhandar (temple treasury) of Sri Jagannath temple.
The laser scanning was carried out in presence of temple managing body members and 15 core committee members headed by Er.N C Pal.
A team of technicians and engineers from Mumbai have installed the camera on a Tripod and conducted scanning of the North West portion of the structure.
On Wednesday, the team will operate over the South portions. It will take about four days to take a full scan image of the walls, sources said.
Thereafter all the individual images will be synchronised using special software to a full video and the picture will be displayed on the computer screen.
One can examine these images with 150 mega pixels resolution by widening the picture and determine the exact point of cracks, weak spots and damage in the stone walls of the temple treasury.
This scanning gadget mounted on a Tripod with 360 degree movement capability will take 3D digital images of the stones using laser rays.
It will take at least a week to process the images and to find results which will be submitted to the temple authority, ASI sources said.
ASI Superintendent D B Garhnaik said the team on Tuesday documented 37 spots. This laser scan images will enable experts to detect weak points or cracks in the outer wall only.
If the damage is huge and of serious nature then the scanning of inner walls will be taken up ASI sources said.
Documentation has been made of the Sun temple at Konark, Lingaraj temple and many other small temples of the state using laser scan images.
This is the first time this laser scanning is being used in Sri Jagannath temple, Garhnaik said.
Earlier, an attempt was made to conduct a 3D scanning of the temple using a drone camera but it remained incomplete, he added.
In 2018 the ASI after examining the Ratna Bhandar from the outside had reported water seepage causing fungus in the inner walls and suggested that the structure needed urgent repair.
However, the repairs could not be taken up during the last five years.
This work is being done after intervention of the Orissa High court which directed the ASI and the concerned authorities of the state to fix the date and time frame to conduct repairs of Ratna Bhandar.
In the wake of the High Court directive, ASI sought permission from the temple administration.
The temple administration has issued NOC to ASI to proceed with the work but advised that since there is huge rush of devotees the work be taken up from November 28 after conclusion of Kartik brata on Monday.
The state government has entrusted the ASI in 1974 to conserve, preserve and repair this twelfth century temple, one of four dhams of Hindu faith. (UNI)
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