An official had said there is some damage to the temple, but main structure remains unaffected. (File)
Following reports that Cyclone Fani has caused damage to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Odisha government today asked the Centre to deploy the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to inspect the damage caused to the 12th century shrine.
"It is reported that significant damage has been caused to the infrastructure of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. Even the Sun Temple is reportedly closed for tourists," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma.
He said the assessment is urgently required so that appropriate remedial measures can be undertaken keeping in view the Rath Yatra festival scheduled for July 4.
PK Mohapatra, the chief administrator of Sree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), on May 5 said there has been some damage to the temple, but the main structure remains unaffected.
The Lion's Gate of the temple, also known as the "Jay-Vijay Dwar", has the idols of Jay and Vijay. The idol of Jay has been broken but that of Vijay is intact, Mr Mohapatra had said.
A lion statue also suffered minor damage as the scaffolding collapsed on it.
Cyclone Fani had made landfall in Odisha on May 3. Almost a million people from the state were evacuated to nearly 5,000 temporary shelters hours before its landfall. Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Khurda were among the worst-affected districts.