Odisha Chapter Of INTACH Starts Documentation Of Kalingan Heritage Sites In Andhra Pradesh

Berhampur: The Odisha chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has started a documentation campaign of Kalingan heritage sites in Andhra Pradesh.

The INTACH took up the campaign as these heritage sites in the neighbouring state with Kalingan influence need proper listing and preservation. The campaign aims at highlighting these sites, ensuring their historical significance is recognised and protected.

By documenting Kalingan heritage sites outside the current boundaries of Odisha, INTACH aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the region’s historical expanse and influence. According to INTACH Odisha sources, the publishing of this documentation is expected to be completed by the end of the current year.

The six-member survey team including Bishnu Mohan Adhikari, Bikram Kumar Nayak, Suman Prakash Swain, Bikash Das and Chiranjib Rout is coordinated by Deepak Kumar Nayak, co-convenor, INTACH, Cuttack Chapter.

Bishnu Mohan Adhikari, a history researcher-cum-archivist of southern Odisha who is associated with the survey, said the Kalingan heritage sites in Andhra Pradesh has a rich tapestry woven with threads of history, architecture, religion, and culture.

“These historic sites collectively form a vital link to our past, offering important historical, linguistic, cultural and architectural insights. Their neglect poses a significant threat to our shared heritage. By undertaking a concerted effort to list and document these sites, we can ensure their preservation and continued appreciation by future generations,” he said.

“This initiative will not only honour our history but also enrich the cultural fabric of this land and beyond. It will lay the foundation for educational enrichment, cultural appreciation and economic growth in the present and future. The ongoing effort to document Kalingan heritage sites in Andhra is a significant endeavour to preserve our cultural and historical heritage that will also act as a vital resource for future generations, researchers and scholars,” said Adhikari, who has been chosen as the only member from South Odisha who can also read, write and speak Telugu.

Many of these sites including temples, palaces, forts, caves, stupas, inscriptions and other archaeological remains having Kalingan connection are lesser-known and some of them are documented for the first time by the INTACH team. Architectural and cultural elements of the Kalinga style are prominently featured in several locations throughout Andhra Pradesh, highlighting the historical and cultural connections between these regions.

“Our team has meticulously documented and catalogued numerous historic Kalingan sites, primarily situated in the North Andhra Pradesh region. Our objective is to locate and document as many Kalingan historic sites as possible in the entire state,” Project Coordinator Deepak Kumar Nayak said.

Eminent historian Dr Ananataram Kar, Sitakanta Rajaguru and many intellectuals of south Odisha have welcomed this project and inclusion of Adhikari in the team.

Adhikari along with a team of INTACH researchers discovered a 1700 years old neglected and dilapidated ancient Hanuman idol dating back to the 4^th or 5^th century at Patikota village near JITM situated on the outskirts of Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district which was lying under a tree and requested the Odisha government to initiate proper steps to preserve it.

He had also decoded a 237-year-old copper plate of the ancestors of Vikram Deb, the Maharaja of Jeypore retrieved from a metal scrap trader of Rayagada district. It was issued by the Odia king Ramachandra Deva II of Nandapur Samasthana (present day southern Odisha), the old capital of Jeypore kingdom with his signature.

In 2020, he decoded copper plates with bilingual text in Odia and Telugu recovered from Sri Sailam Ghanta Mandap during renovation. Those have signatures of Kapilendra Dev and Purushottam Dev which is now under the possession of Mysore ASI.

Adhikari along with members of the Kalinga Epigraphical Research Group (KERG) including Dipak Kumar Nayak, Mihir Bahinipati and Bikram Nayak have decoded 600 to 700 years old stone inscription in ‘Pancha Mahadev’ temple in Sarapari village of Tangi in Khurda district.