BARIPADA: Shifting of the ‘Samadhi’ (memorial) of late Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjdeo was stopped by locals of Baripada town here on Monday.
In the morning, a JCB machine reached the memorial site at Ranibag near Madhuban and started digging a portion of the ground to remove the headstone of the late King. However, locals rushed to the spot after coming to know about the incident and stopped the digging work.
Kalinga Keshari Jena, a resident of Madhuban, said for the last two days, there were rumours about shifting the memorial to Belgadia Palace.
“We dismissed it but when the JCB machine reached the site in the morning, we were shocked,” he said and added that the memorial is one of the historical spots in the district and has tourism potential.
On being confronted by the locals, the JCB operator said the royal family had allegedly sent him but no official word was available.
Vice-president of Madhuban Development Committee Raghunath Panda said any move to shift the memorial will be strongly opposed as the monument has historical importance and is associated with the heritage of the district.
He said locals have approached the district administration for restoration of the memorial and beautification of the site.