The restoration of the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand will be done using the same strategy that was used to restore the Shore temple in Mahabalipuram by the Archaeological Survey of India after the tsunami in December 2004.
According to a member of the ASI team that reached Uttarakhand on Sunday and visited the affected site, in the south it was the Bay of Bengal that did the damage to the temple and in Kedarnath the fast moving Mandakini river, which gushes into the temple from the rear end, damaged the shrine.
“We will have to find a permanent solution to the water flowing in from behind,” said a member of the team that is headed by Dr B.R. Mani.
After inspecting the site, Dr Mani told local reporters that their primary strategy would revolve around two things — saving the building from the fast moving river and using original material for restoration. “The second part of the strategy is something we follow for all assignments we undertake. In the case of Kedarnath, we will not use mortar but iron will be used in abundance,” the ASI official said.
He spoke about the nature of damage to the temple. “Boulders of different sizes came along with the gushing waters and hit the walls of the temple, which led to huge cracks and defacement at three or four places. The temple’s eastern gate saw the maximum extent of damage. The mandap, which already had a tilt, is the other area that would need to be attended to,” he said.
The ASI also plans to take the help of institutes specialising in hydrology and geology. Experts will help the ASI understand the structure of the soil that holds the temple.