The APSARA National Authority (ANA) said it is repairing the damaged east gate of Ta Prohm Temple.
In collaboration with specialists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it is adding new stones to replace those that were lost, to maintain the balance of the gate.
An ANA social media post quoted Pvncm Eswar, head of the ASI restoration team, as saying that the more than year-long renovation, which began in early January 2022, was scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
As of May 24, the east gate restoration project was about 70 per cent completed.
“Experts are currently working on the roof of both sides of the gate. When it is completed, they will proceed to install a centre roof, the final step of the restoration,” he said.
“Although we have already installed new stones, we need to learn more about the construction of the east gate to see how strong it is. As we are constantly monitoring the condition of the stones as we work on them, some problems were identified. The restoration focused on carvings, replacing lost and damaged stones, as well as roof stone trimming and sealing the roof from seepage,” he added.
The ANA said the main challenge of the east gate is the overall structural integrity of the temple, as the roots of large trees have moved the foundations from their original location, causing the stone walls to tear apart and possibly collapse.
