GADAG: The village of Lakkundi is poised to become the biggest open museum of historical remains in the country, surpassing Telangana’s Warangal open museum. Following the second phase of exploration, thousands of hero stones, antiquarian remains and inscriptions have been uncovered.
According to officials from Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority, as of Monday, Lakkundi’s open museum now houses more than 3,000 historical remains, compared to Warangal’s 2,000. With this achievement, Lakkundi is on track to soon become the largest open museum in India. Visitors from across the country are already arriving to see its famed temples and wells.
The Department of Tourism, Department of Archaeological Museums and Heritage, and Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority have identified more than 50 locations of interest, including village farmhouses. During the second phase of archaeological excavation in Lakkundi, sculptures in the Rashtrakuta and Hoysala styles were discovered.
Villagers extended their cooperation during the first phase by handing over hundreds of historical remains, and continue to assist in recovering artifacts from fields and farmhouses outside the village.
Siddu Patil, state committee member of Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority, said, “We have been finding a significant number of historical remains outside present-day Lakkundi. This suggests that we will soon locate all 101 wells and 101 temples. We are also receiving tremendous cooperation from the villagers, without whom we could have achieved nothing. We also thank Law and Tourism Minister HK Patil for guiding us in this task.”
Sharanu Gogeri, commissioner, Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority, added, “We now have more than 2,800 historical relics in the open museum of Lakkundi, which is a record. There is still one week remaining, and the number of relics may cross 3,500.”