Konark Suraksha Samiti president Badal Das said old stones were being removed and sold. A sculpture of a giraffe is missing from the temple

An outfit concerned with the upkeep of the Sun Temple at Konark is has accused the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) of replacing almost old stones with new ones.

The ASI is the custodian of the temple. An FIR has been lodged in this connection at the Konark Police station on Friday.

Konark Suraksha Samiti president Badal Das said old stones were being removed and sold. A sculpture of a giraffe is missing from the temple.

“The ASI owes an explanation on the issue,” he said.

Chief of ASI, Odisha circle, Arun Mallick told The Telegraph: “All the repair work is going according to the ethics of conservation. There is no deviation from it. There quality of work is also of high standard. Senior officials are also monitoring it. Canards are being spread against us.”

Speaking about the missing giraffe statue, he said: “I am new to the state. I have no detailed information about it. I will inquire into it.”

Resentment is brewing against the ASI for not taking adequate steps for protection and conservation of the temple. However, the local office of the ASI is yet to react on the issue.

Samiti member Niranjan Barik said: “The ASI is totally blind to the art and sculpture of the shrine. Without applying any brain, they are replacing the old stones. Even various deities are being replaced with mere stones. If the ASI continues with the repair in the way they are doing it, a time will come when the structure will lose its beauty and tourists too.”

He said: “Most part of the shrine have been covered with scaffolds and no steps are being taken to remove them. The visitors are being deprived of seeing the beauty of the temple.”

Earlier in July this year, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had also taken up the issue with the Centre and urged it to take necessary measures to save the temple.

Referring to the importance of the Konark temple, Naveen had said: “The ruins and conserved structure delineates the culture, literature, art, heritage and history of the bygone era, particularly, it represents the creative brilliance of Odisha’s unique temple architecture and craftsmanship.”