The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stopped restoration work of Kedarnath Temple, which was ravaged by the flashflood in June, after the doors of the sanctum sanctorum was closed due to snowfall and severe winter.
"The structural conservation as well as chemical preservation work has been stopped since November 2 due to snowfall and severe winter conditions at the site and the ASI team has returned from the temple site. Also, it was not possible to work at the site as the temple gates close for worship on November 5," an official statement said.
The work would resumed next year in consultation with the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), it said.
The ASI, in first phase, has removed parts of debris deposited on the southern, western and eastern side. Nearly 489 cubic meter of debris deposit has been removed from the plinth and approximately 635 square metre area of plinth has been cleared.
The ASI team executed the work at site, despite difficult working conditions compounded due to harsh weather conditions and snowfall. Also, the necessary stone packing to the damaged portions of the temple walls had been done.
Replacement of damaged wooden door on the western side of the temple has been also completed. Apart from it, cleaning of Garbha Griha walls has been done up to about nine feet height. The ASI team is preparing a total station survey plan of about 50 X 50 meters of the temple site for which field data has been collected with the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
The GSI has also done necessary survey of the site to study anomalies beneath the ground and to check the health and status of the foundation. In the second phase, conservation works would include repairs to the plinth of the temple, filling up of missing stones, after duly carving and matching original stone, on facades of the temple, cleaning of the entire interior of the temple, removing marble flooring and providing deodar wooden flooring inside Garbha-griha and Antrala of the temple.
Also a detailed proposal for the improvement of environs around the temple would be prepared and submitted through the Culture Ministry to the state government and Badrinath- Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) for their approval.
This would commence after purchase of necessary material, tools and equipment for the commencement of conservation works next year. After the flash floods, ASI had taken up the conservation work of Kedarnath Temple for structural conservation as well as chemical preservation.
Before that also, some work of cleaning and chemical preservation was attended to by ASI and estampages of inscriptions were taken by ASI's Epigraphy Branch, Mysore, for their decipherment.
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