Heritage damaged
- Allegations have been levelled against the Odisha government citing violation of several guidelines of AMSAR Act
- The ancient artefacts that were damaged in the process include lattice work, decorative scroll works and carved stone pieces
Bhubaneswar, Feb 4: The discovery of the remains of a temple and other structures near the Suka-Sari temple complex, close to Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar has not only created a buzz but also caught the attention of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Allegations have been levelled against the Odisha government citing violation of several guidelines on the pretext of carrying out the much-hyped Ekamra Kshetra development project.
The controversy over the destruction of ancient monuments around the 11th century Lingaraj Temple in Odisha’s capital Bhubaneshwar amid a State-sponsored redevelopment drive, spiralled with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) stating that irreparable damage had been done to the temple and ancient shrines around it.
An INTACH team comprising AB Tripathy, Sanjib Hota, Anil Dhir, Biswajit Mohanty, Ileana Citarasti, Debabrat Panigrahi, Binode Dash, Deepak Nayak, Satyam Jyoti, Ramahari Jena, Prafulla Swain and Debasish Mohapatro did a preliminary site survey at ground level and sent a report to the centre.
According to state convenor of INTACH Amiya Bhusan Tripathy, there was no guideline formed or any suggestions taken from ASI or INTACH before demolition of the heritage site. Use of heavy machinery in such a sensitive spot is uncalled for and is a straight violation of the AMSAR Act 1958, he said.
Anil Dhir said, “It’s a clear cultural genocide. What are the Sevayats and the Pandas of the Lingaraj temple doing? A shame on every self respecting Hindu. Imagine this being done for any icon, idol or religious place of any other faith. I had written to the Govt for last 7 months to have a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) done at the site before excavation. This is a normal procedure which lets researchers explore large-scale archaeological sites.”
The ancient artefacts that were damaged in the process include lattice work, decorative scroll works, carved stone pieces, Gajavidalas, Nayikas, Salabhanjikas, Chaitya medallions and many more.
Suka Sari temple precinct is one of the important locations in Ekamra Kshetra. It is also mentioned in various ancient treatises like Ekamra Purana, Ekamra Chandrika etc. Moreover the present ground level is much higher than the earlier ground level so it is evident that many heritage resources must be present underneath.
Demolition of the 700 years old Shiva Tirtha Matha was also assessed. Except for a small 15ft by 15 ft temple present inside the Shiva Tirtha Matha, everything has been razed and the stone blocks used to fill the plinths of the surrounding. The surviving temple is perched high on an earthen mound, and is prone to collapse. Moreover it is clear violation of the AMASR Act 1958, amended in 2010.
