SAMBALPUR: A team of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) recently stumbled upon inscriptions on Padmasini temple of Padmapur village submerged by Hirakud reservoir near Pujaripali village of Jharsuguda district.
In a recent visit to the area for documentation work, members of INTACH, Sambalpur Chapter discovered the engravings on the temple now covered with wild foliage.
Addressing the media, INTACH member Deepak Kumar Panda said the edicts were found on the left wall leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The temple was built by the rulers of Som dynasty.
The village is the birth place of Sanskrit scholar and writer of Uttar Ramacharita, Bhababhuti. Though ravaged by the vicissitudes of time, the inscriptions are still visible, Deepak said.
Convenor of INTACH, Sambalpur Chapter, Tarini Panda said the submerged area of Hirakud Dam is a treasure trove for historians. Efforts should be made to document the findings and unearth new facts about the ways of life of people residing in the village during those times. The edicts look strong despite remaining submerged for a long time, Tarini said.
The discovery can shed new light on the history of once flourishing civilization in the area, he added.
Several submerged historical monuments stand tall with the receding water level of Hirakud Dam Reservoir during summer.
The monuments attract hundreds of cultural enthusiasts and historians to study and dwell on the life and ways of the people residing in the areas now submerged by Hirakud reservoir.