BHUBANESWAR: After raising alarm over the demolition drive by BMC-BDA around the Suka-Sari temple complex, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Odisha chapter, on Tuesday submitted a report to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recommending scientific study of the entire Ekamra Kshetra area.
The heritage watchdog has also called for a proper inventory of all excavated material, carved or otherwise.
It has recommended 15 measures including ground penetration radar (GPR) survey and a heritage sensitive development plan for the area. The GPR examination should be undertaken before proceeding with further works on the project.
An eight-member INTACH team had visited the site on Sunday and flagged violations of heritage protection laws while clearing the two acre land for the Ekamra project.
The conservation body has urged the Chief Minister to direct the officials concerned for GPR examination of 100 sensitive zones (sites of archaeological and heritage importance) in the Ekamra Kshetra. These include sites near Papanasini temple, Lingaraj temple, Suka-Sari, Bhabani Shankar temples and Vaital Deula precinct.
The GPR is used to assess what lies beneath the surface before demolition or excavation is carried out at heritage zones.
Stating that an expert committee should review all works being undertaken under the project and recommend the future course of action, the INTACH has also sought a heritage impact assessment of the Ekamra plan - both the completed and pending works. While the State government had two months back formed an eight-member expert committee to supervise the project, the panel met on Monday for the first time.
INTACH also demanded that paving the cleared portions (areas from where encroachments were removed) with cement tiles should be immediately stopped as this will retard the recharging of the ground water during rains. The heritage mutts which are slated for demolition should instead be restored with proper conservation.
In their report to the CM, they also demanded that 15 holy tanks in Ekamra Kshetra including the Papanasini Tank, Debapadahara Tank, Ganga Yamuna Tank and Gosagareswara Tank should be de-silted and cleaned.
ASI finds Pranala of Sari Deula
The ASI archaeologists on Tuesday cleaned a portion in the north of the Sari temple that was earlier buried under the MCG Sanskrit college building and found its Pranala, a discharge outlet attached to the wall of the sanctum.
The Pranala extends towards the north direction of the temple where Bindu Sagar is located. They said the north-east corner of the temple where a platform-like structure is partially exposed will be further cleaned. Superintending archaeologist Arun Malik said it is presumed that the platform is also the remains of a subsidiary shrine of the Sari Deula.