ASI unearths 10th century temple during excavation in Bhubaneswar

The oldest structure in Bhubaneswar is Baitala temple, that is believed to have been built during 8th century by the Bhaumakara kings.

Published on: Jan 30, 2021, 01:23:25 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed a stone structure suspected to be the floor of a 10th century temple during excavation near the 11th century Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.

A base (Shakti) of Shivling has also been found during digging at the site. (HT PHOTO)

ASI officials said while carrying out scientific cleaning of the two acre land adjacent to the 11th century Suka-Sari temple complex, they found the floor of the temple as well as a portion of wall containing beautifully engraved statues of danseuses of the temple that was earlier buried under the campus of a demolished Sanskrit college in Bhubaneswar. A base (Shakti) of Shivling has also been found during digging at the site.

“We think the temple was built on Panchayatana model like the Brahmeshwara and Chitrakarini temples which are of the 10th century origin. Another side of the wall is being dug out and it will require 10 more days to completely bring out the structures,” said Arun Mallick, superintendent of ASI's Bhubaneswar circle.

Mallick said many ancient structures around the vicinity of Lingaraj temple are believed to have been damaged during the demolition drive carried out by the Odisha government for renovation of the old town area under Ekamra Kshetra Project.

“Bhubaneswar is said to be city of more than 1000 temples. We believe many structures have been demolished during the current demolition exercise. We tried to reason with them about not carrying out indiscriminate demolition. But the state government did not take note of our protests,” he said.

Among the heritage structures demolished around the Lingaraj temple are the 11th century Ganesh temple called Budha Ganesh on the northern side of Lingaraj complex. It has been listed as a protected monument years ago and is one of the smallest Ganesh temples of Bhubaneswar.

The oldest structure in Bhubaneswar is Baitala temple, that is believed to have been built during 8th century by the Bhaumakara kings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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