Design of steel beam to fortify Natamandap finalised

Cuttack: The ASI’s core conservation committee has finalised the design of the stainless-steel beam to be used for strengthening the cracked beam inside the Natamandap of Jagannath Temple, amicus curiae N K Mohanty told the Orissa high court on Thursday.The HC has been monitoring the repair and renovation work inside the Natamandap acting on a PIL filed in 2016 by Cuttack resident Abhisek Das, seeking conservation of the shrine.The amicus curiae said the design was finalised after approval from the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA)’s expert committee. At a meeting held on January 10, ASI Puri circle’s superintending archaeologist assured that work to strengthen the cracked beam would be completed by April 30.Taking on record the oral submissions, the two-judge bench of acting Chief Justice B R Sarangi and Justice M S Raman posted the matter to next week and directed the superintending archaeologist of ASI, Puri, to file an affidavit on the timeline for completion of work on the beam.

HC to amicus curiae: Check if FIRs of petty nature can be withdrawn

The Punjab and Haryana high court has asked senior advocate Anupam Gupta to examine Haryana's 2016 Jat stir violence FIRs for withdrawal. IPS officer Amitabh Singh Dhillon, heading the anti-corruption bureau of Haryana, should update the court on the completion of the SIT probe.

Odisha CM launches Shree Jagannath express bus service to Puri from districts

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launches Shree Jagannath Express bus service to facilitate transportation of people from all districts of Odisha to Puri, ensuring seamless Shree Jagannath 'Darshan' in the 12th-century shrine. The buses will operate under the state's flagship Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) and will run from 12 district headquarters initially.

Kanpur's Jagannath temple that predicts rain

The Jagannath temple at Behta Bujurg, with a parabolic dome similar to those found in West Bengal and Odisha, presents contradictions in its architecture and date of construction. The temple is popular among the local population and devotees for its accurate monsoon prediction based on a dampened stone slab in the ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum.

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