After 15 Years, ASI Restarts Excavation At Odisha’s Barabati Fort For Maritime Remnants

Cuttack: After a gap of 15 years, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has resumed excavation of Barabati Fort in Odisha’s Cuttack city.

The fort built in the 12th-13th century by rulers of the Ganga dynasty was declared an ASI-protected monument in 1915. It was last excavated in 2007.

A broken structural fragment, a human face of a stone sculpture, was found in the trench in the northeast direction of the remains of the pillared hall of the fort on the first day. “The digging work this time is aimed uncovering historical artefacts which may establish the ancient link between Southeast Asian countries with India and Odisha, which according to legends once shared strong maritime connections with countries like Bali, Sumatra. The trench appears to have two to three metres of deposits and the sculptural fragment, which could date back to the 13th to 14th century, was dug from the spot,” ASI (Puri circle head) Dibishida Gadnayak was quoted as saying.

Four areas in the fort have been identified for excavation, he further said.

While previous excavations of the site were carried out to establish the cultural chronology of the fortified fort, a central mound area of the fort in 1989 revealed the remains of a palace, a pavilion and foundation blocks made of rhodolite. Eighteen massive pillar bases, aligned in four rows at regular intervals, were also found in the southern area. “This time, we plan to conduct material culture of the small and big pieces for valuable insights into the lifestyle and social structure of the ancient habitation,” Gadnayak added.

The ASI has also plans to open this fort for the public as a popular tourist spot.