PUNE: The State Public Works Department (PWD), in association with various heritage experts, has started the construction of a “Sabhamandap” with a capacity of 1000 places at the Bhimashankar temple in Khed, at around 110 km from town.
The mandap will be made of basalt stone and lime and built using traditional building techniques, like the one in the main temple. The existing “mandap” was built in 1967 and can accommodate 500 worshipers. But it now has several leaks due to precipitation.
Kiran Kalamdani, the architect who designed the mandap, said that since the new construction was to be symmetrically aligned with the center of the “gabhara” (sanctum sanctorum), space was made available on either side, leaving enough room. to the crowd to pass around.
“During Maha Shivaratri, when the temple receives the maximum number of visitors, the queues are made with removable barricades. These can be placed in the new cloisters and this will immediately lead to the mandap. The base and the levels will be maintained to correspond to the existing levels. There will be a minimum of obstructions, ”he added.
ER Patil, the executive engineer of PWD, said: “Given the current state of the work, it could be completed within the next two years. The total cost of the project is Rs148 crore.
The mandap will be made of basalt stone and lime and built using traditional building techniques, like the one in the main temple. The existing “mandap” was built in 1967 and can accommodate 500 worshipers. But it now has several leaks due to precipitation.
Kiran Kalamdani, the architect who designed the mandap, said that since the new construction was to be symmetrically aligned with the center of the “gabhara” (sanctum sanctorum), space was made available on either side, leaving enough room. to the crowd to pass around.
“During Maha Shivaratri, when the temple receives the maximum number of visitors, the queues are made with removable barricades. These can be placed in the new cloisters and this will immediately lead to the mandap. The base and the levels will be maintained to correspond to the existing levels. There will be a minimum of obstructions, ”he added.
ER Patil, the executive engineer of PWD, said: “Given the current state of the work, it could be completed within the next two years. The total cost of the project is Rs148 crore.
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