The Cente on Sunday proposed to set up a school of architecture near the famous Sun Temple at Konark in Orissa. Besides another proposal put forward for a school of sculpture at the same place to promote the dying craft of the artisans of the region as depicted on the walls of the Sun Temple.
The proposal for the architecture school was mooted by Union fertiliser minister Srikant Jena while Union petroleum and natural gas minister M. Veerappa Moily and offered to provide financial assistance for the school of sculpture. Both the ministers offered `5 crore each for the two institutions from funds belonging to their respective ministries.
The leaders were attending the foundation stone-laying ceremony, sponsored by Indian Oil Foundation, for a project to develop tourist facilities at Konark with an investment of `15 crore.
The proposed architecture school is to be named after Dharmap-ada, the legendary son of Bishu Moharana, the main artisan of the Sun Temple.