Monalisa Patsani
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 23: The state capital is famous in the country for its treasure trove of temples sprawled all across the city. The famous Old City area, also known as Ekamra Khetra, has been nominated by the state government for a UNESCO tag. Experts believe Ekamra Khetra which used to once host around 700 temples is a repository of the rich history of Kalinga.
It is believed that some of the oldest temples in the city date back to the 6th or 7th century AD. One such group of temples exists near Kalpana Square along the road leading to Lingaraj temple. Lakshmaneswara is a hub of three temples – Lakshmaneswara, Bharatesvara and Satrughnesvara – and is built in the style of early Kalinga architecture. However, the temple complex standing opposite to the Rameswara temple has few visitors and has seen its glory erode over the years, largely due to renovation efforts conducted by the Archaeological Society of India.
Visitors to these temples would be forgiven for mistaking these 7th Century masterpieces for modern structures, as they were ‘renovated’ by the State Archaeological Department. The Lakshmaneswara temple complex that was renovated last year has been given an entire facelift of sorts, making it completely unrecognisable in the process. Original sculptures were done away with, making it quite difficult for visitors to get an idea of the ancient architectural style of the temple.
“These three temples are older than Lingaraj temple itself, and are believed to have played a crucial role in establishing the subsequent Kalinga architectural movement in the state. The Orissan style of temples subsequently evolved from the architectural philosophy of these temples. They are the oldest chain of temples in the city after the Mahendragiri temples in Gajapati district. According to ASI norms, we can’t imitate an art and also cannot damage its originality. But now, after the renovation work at the Lakshmaneswara temple complex, there is nothing old about these temples,” lamented a senior officer from the Archaeological Survey of India on condition of anonymity.
“The Lakshmaneswara temple is the worst-affected after the renovation work. It was not a renovation as much as it is a reconstruction. It looks more like a newly-built temple now. Reconstruction of an archaeological monument is against ASI norms”, said the officer.
“The whole history of the temple has been lost. Now, the situation is such that we cannot even refer the temple complex to researchers and archaeology students to visit and study the temple as it bears no resemblance to Kalinga architecture. That is sad for a temple complex that was considered to be a precursor of what we now call the Orissan style of temple architecture,” the officer said.
The archeological experts believe that before doing any renovation or conservation work of monuments, the state archeological department should consult the experts from the ASI. “It has lost its charm, which is why tourists don’t prefer to visit the site. It is very necessary which I feel was not done by the State Archaeological Department. The temples have lost its glory. The culture department of the state does not have a vision”, said the officer from the department.
BP Ray, deputy director of the state archaeology department, said they worked within the norms laid down by the ASI while renovating the temple complex. “We have not violated the norms of ASI. The renovation work has been done as per the architecture style of the Bharateswara temple which is the oldest of the three temples. The Bharateswara temple was renovated from the debris of the old temple in the 1970’s. We have followed the ancient temple-building principles of Kalinga era. The core of the temple has been renovated by using the same fabrics and by using new stones to give some fabrication. The Bharateswara and the Satrughnesvara temples contain maximum number of old structures,” Ray said.
It is believed the temple complex was constructed during the Sailadhava dynasty. The three temples are ‘living’ temples with the deities of Lord Shiva present inside. The premises of the 7th Century temples are deserted throughout the day, as few tourists prefer visiting it. “Earlier some tourists used to visit the temples, but now hardly anyone goes there. There is nothing to see as the temple complex looks completely new. The way renovation is done in our country, most of the old monuments would lose their originality,” said Ananta Das, a student of BJB Autonomous College.
