Puri, August 20: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has commenced preparations for excavation work at the renowned Konark Temple in Odisha. Dr. Milan Kumar Chouley, ASI’s Superintendent Archaeologist and Regional Director, shared insights with a news agency regarding the ongoing project. ASI Additional Director General Janhvi Sharma and the core committee conducted an inspection of the Konark Sun Temple. They also reviewed the proposed metal frame for conservation work and tunnel excavation. Following safety and weather assessments, the excavation is expected to begin around October.
During the inspection, Dr. Chouley elaborated on various aspects of the site. The entire ASI team was present, thoroughly examining every structure and feature, and documenting their findings with photographs.
The Additional Director General reviewed the ongoing conservation and restoration efforts in reference to the blueprints and assessed the condition of the structures. He also visited the upper section of the Konark entrance hall to evaluate the current work.
Dr. Chouley stated, “A significant amount of work is underway. The ADG and core committee members visited the site to inspect the design of the metal frame intended for securing the tunnel we plan to excavate. Work began several months ago, and now that August has arrived, I visited here in June.”
He further explained, “There are many aspects that are not always visible to everyone. IIT is our consultant, and they have prepared 2D and 3D designs to assess the stress on the structure and determine how to monitor it. Once we commence work, we must be prepared for the worst-case scenario, ensuring complete satisfaction regarding safety measures. IIT has now permitted us to cut a section measuring approximately 2 meters by 2.3 meters, with a thickness of about 60-70 centimeters. We will proceed with that work now.”
Dr. Chouley mentioned that they have submitted another proposal for the tunnel work, which they deem necessary. Once that is completed, calculations will need to be made. He noted, “We do not know when they will provide those calculations, and we cannot rush them. If the calculations are incorrect, the entire assessment will be flawed, so we must wait for their input. We also need to consider weather conditions, particularly rainfall. Overall, we plan to start work in October.”
Regarding testing materials, the ASI Superintendent Archaeologist remarked, “The British engineers who worked on this did an excellent job. They did not use sea sand for filling; instead, they used river sand. Because river sand was used, the structure remains in good condition. If sea sand had been used, the stones would have whitened and deteriorated quickly. The use of river sand has ensured the structure’s stability and condition.”
Dismissing the preparation of blueprints, he stated, “Every aspect of our work is discussed with all core committee members. A record of discussions is prepared, followed by approval from the DG, before we proceed. Two experts could not physically attend in such a short time, so we included them online for discussions. The rest of us visited the site today, as an online meeting cannot accurately assess everything on the ground. We held a meeting in the office yesterday, and today we are here for a ground inspection.”
Sharing details about the team, he mentioned that the ADG leads the core committee, which includes Ashok Basti, a renowned civil engineer; Loknath Behera, a well-known structural engineer; Menon from IIT Chennai; and Professor Deepti Ranjan Sahu from IIT Delhi. The committee also includes archaeologists, with two or three from Odisha involved. Additionally, there are two retired ASI officials, one from ASI and another from the state archaeology department, as well as a former professor from Utkal University.
He concluded by stating that the primary focus today was on inspecting the metal frame that arrived. They assessed its strength and durability to determine its suitability for the proposed work and discussed potential improvements needed. These were some of the issues addressed in yesterday’s discussions, and today they conducted a physical inspection and evaluation at the site.
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