Bhubaneswar, April 23 -- Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun the sand extraction process in the assembly hall, Jagamohan, of the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, in a carefully planned effort to stabilise and conserve the 13th-century monument.

The sand extraction process in the Jagamohan, which has remained sealed for about 123 years, is likely to be completed in three months, ASI officials said.

Controlled drilling, robotic systems to aid conservation effort

The agency has started creating a narrow passage between the first and second "pidha" on the western wall to manually remove sand and conserve the inner structure. "The dimension of the passage will be 6 ft by 5 ft, through which sand will be removed manually," Superintend...