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Sun Temple at Konark is a UNESCO World Heritage site but numerous reports suggest that Konark is crumbling. The villain seems to be the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which incidentally has invited a global tender to preserve the sun temple.
Konark Suraksha Samiti, an organization fighting for the cause of Konark, feels ASI has done more damage to the structure than the Muslim invaders who mutilated and tore down the structure. Orissa State Government too has similar views.
But according to ASI the saline wind from the nearby Bay of Bengal is responsible for the crumbling. But the local people are not ready to buy this explanation as they point out other structures in the region, including the Puri Jagannath Temple, has not been damaged by saline wind.
As the blame game continues, only one of the famous Wheels of Konark is intact. The rest of structures of the temple too are not in a healthy condition.
The new global tender planned by the central government is to bring in experts to drain out the sand fillings that were used to close all the four entrances of the porch at the Konark Sun Temple over a century ago. This will allow tourists to see the inner walls of the temple.
Red tapism in India has ruined several monuments and Hindu temples. The government officials endlessly wait for orders and when the orders arrive there is no monument.
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Hindu Temples and Sites in UNESCO World Heritage List
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