BHUBANESWAR: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sought intervention of Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy for preservation of the Swapneswar Mahadev temple at Biropurusottampur village in Puri district. He also sought documentation and conservation of heritage structures in Ratnachira Valley in the district.
In a letter to Reddy on Tuesday, Pradhan said that the 1,400-year-old temple was recently discovered by the Odisha chapter of INTACH during a survey of Ratnachira Valley and its monuments. Urging his Cabinet colleague to direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake preservation of Swapneswar temple and other heritage monuments at Ratnachira valley, Pradhan said the temple is one of the best preserved examples of early Kalingan architecture in the region.
“However, the temple’s structure is in a precarious state and in need of immediate preservation measures”, he said, adding that Ratnachira valley is a gold mine of ancient Kalingan monuments most of which were undocumented until recently.