The Odisha chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) today said loss of heritage in the ongoing demolition around the Sri Jagannat temple, are an integral part of the Jagannath culture. Some of the structures now being demolished for the safety and security of the temple could be conserved as these old religious places bear sacred significance and are an integral part of the Jagannath culture,INTACH members said.
In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik , they said the INTACH had successfully undertaken many restoration projects of dilapidated monuments in the State including the Jobra Workshop which was converted into the Maritime Museum and offered INTACH’S expertise to conserve the structures at Puri.The members said many of the smaller structures can be cleared of commercial and human use, and can be stand alone monuments. These structures form a part of the proposed Parikrama, and will add grandeur to the complex.
They further said heritage preservation as an integral contributor to the economic, social and cultural well-being of the holy city of Puri The INTACH members suggested that keeping the existing parameter of 75 meters in view it may be examined if there is any scope to save some structures and take up their conservation.Welcoming the State government’s initiative being undertaken for the safety and security of the temple and its periphery, the letter said the Mutts of Puri, unlike those in the rest of the country, have a symbiotic relationship with the temple and the deities, and have important roles to play in the daily ceremonies and annual rituals including the world famous Rath Yatra.
The members said those monuments are the heritage of the golden period of Odia history. The Mutts are the witnesses of “our past glory and grandeur”. They are the proven records of antiquity, but have fallen victims to the neglect of the owners, caretakers, rendering them unsafe.They suggested to the Chief Minister to have a 3-D Visual record of the monuments and structures prior to their demolition.A proper inventory of the artefacts, records, manuscripts and sculptures be made and arrangements for the conservation of all such important relics be undertaken.They said these can be later kept in a special museum, which will showcase the heritage and history of the old town. (UNI)
