Ujjain Municipal Corporation asks IIT Indore to help with relocating temple idol | India News

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.UMC commissioner Abhilash Mishra said, “The IIT team was invited at the priest’s request. 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 IIT team on Tuesday used specialised equipment to study the idol’s depth and surrounding soil. Officials said large idols of the Parmara dynasty era were often installed using interlocking techniques. The Khade Hanuman idol is carved from durable basalt stone of the Malwa region, officials added.A road widening project is underway from Kanthal Square to Gopal Mandir in Ujjain, which will expand the stretch by approximately 15 meters. The temple fell within the project’s scope. Attempts to remove the idol with cutters and heavy machinery were made, however, devotees opposed it and warned that excessive force could damage it.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. I want the idol to be examined with modern technology and experts, and relocated only after proper assessment,” he said. Locals also submitted a memorandum to the municipal commissioner demanding the same.Acting on the priest’s request, a team from IIT Indore inspected the idol on Tuesday, officials said.“We are facing difficulty in shifting the idol as it is a matter of faith,” a UMC official said. A canopy has been installed to protect the idol in the interim.