BHUBANESWAR: Former superintendent of Odisha State Archaeology and heritage conservationist Dr Bijaya Kumar Rath passed away due to post-Covid complications here on Saturday.
Born in Parlakhemundi, Dr Rath was instrumental in structural conservation of 900 heritage monuments across the State and a member of technical committees for conservation of Sri Jagannath temple and Gundicha temple at Puri, Sun temple at Konark and Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar.
As a consultant to INTACH for the Maritime Museum project at Jobra, he was also involved in the conservation and conversion of Janakinath Bhawan into Netaji Birth Place Museum at Cuttack.
A scholar of repute in the field of archaeology, art and cultural history, he had authored numerous research papers on a wide range of subjects like archaeology, sculptural art and temple architecture.
Some of his books include Cultural History of Odisha, Forgotten Monuments of Orissa, Odisha History and Art and Culture. Dr Rath was also behind several explorations and excavations in the State and until his last days, he was researching on Vastusilpa texts of Odisha’s temples.
People from different walks of life condoled his death.