Chandrapur: Remains of ancient shrines carved out of stone are scattered all across the dense forests of Koraput district, with years of neglect taking an irreversible toll on them, according to reports.
Several broken idols and dilapidated temples can be seen inside the forest near Kurlibali village under Hanumantpur panchayat, locals said.
According to legend, Goddess Manikeswari was worshipped centuries back inside the forest and animal sacrifice used to be an integral part of the rituals. Visitors can still see an idol of the goddess after walking for about seven km along the Phalaphalia river near Kurlipali village. Villagers however avoid going down there fearing attacks by wild animals that infest the area.
Several portions of the ancient structures are now in a state of ruin, thanks to a lack of upkeep on the administration’s part, it is learnt. It is extremely difficult to identify the presiding deity of the shrine as some believe it to be the place of worship of Lord Shiva. Locals demanded the revival of the ancient shrines which are on the verge of extinction.
A lot of hitherto unknown information can come to light if the culture and archaeological departments look into the matter seriously, former sarpanch Biswanath Patra and other villagers including Dayanidhi Patra and Satyanarayan Pratika said. PNN
