Context

Archaeological Survey of India is working on a preliminary roadmap to safely remove sand from the interiors of Odisha’s Sun Temple’s sealed assembly hall (Jagamohan).

• ASI, the custodian of the world heritage site, will be assisted by IIT Madras in the process.

About

Facts about Konark Temple

• The name Konark is made of two Sanskrit words: Kona, meaning corner, and arka, meaning sun.
• Built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty from 1238-1250 CE, the 13th century late-style Kalingan temple forms part of the golden triangle of Odisha, along with Puri and Bhubaneswar.
• Konark was chosen as its place of construction because it has been described as the holy seat of Surya in various ancient texts.
• Its architecture has all the defining elements of the Kalinga architecture – it includes
  • Shikhara (crown)
  • Jagmohana (audience hall)
  • Natmandir (dance hall)
  • Vimana (tower)

The need

• The sand was filled up by the British 118 years ago to prevent it from collapsing.
• The need to remove the sand was felt after a study warned of possible damage caused by the sand settling down — resulting in a gap of 17 feet between the sand layer and the structure.
• This report was submitted in 2019 and suggested two solution:
  • To refill the 17-foot gap with fresh sand.
  • To remove all the sand and properly restoring the structure