The Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) on Wednesday said that it asked the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Indore team to advise them on the safe relocation of Ujjain’s Khade Hanuman temple, which falls within the UMC’s road widening project.
The process and date for relocating the idol will be finalised only after their report. We are assessing whether it can be safely moved without damage. The Khade Hanuman idol is carved from durable basalt stone of the Malwa region, officials added. Temple priest Mahesh Bairagi requested for an assessment to be carried out for the safe removal of the idol. “I have no objection to the administration’s actions. Locals also submitted a memorandum to the municipal commissioner demanding the same. A canopy has been installed to protect the idol in the interim.
UMC commissioner Abhilash Mishra said, “The IIT team was invited at the priest’s request. Officials said large idols of the Parmara dynasty era were often installed using interlocking techniques. I want the idol to be examined with modern technology and experts, and relocated only after proper assessment,” he said. “We are facing difficulty in shifting the idol as it is a matter of faith,” a UMC official said.
The IIT team on Tuesday used specialised equipment to study the idol’s depth and surrounding soil. Acting on the priest’s request, a team from IIT Indore inspected the idol on Tuesday, officials said.
