The state government of Odisha appears to be unconcerned about the history and heritage of its own regions as it conducts demolition drives in Ekamra Kshetra (Old Town) on the periphery of the 11th century Lingaraj temple as its first step to beautify the area and help put Bhubaneswar on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.

The Ekamra Kshetra Heritage Project, which had been announced in December 2019 by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, envisaged comprehensive developmental work near the Lingaraj temple, an area that falls under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Despite objections from the ASI, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation (OBCC) have been conducting demolition drives in the area without permission from the ASI’s director general in New Delhi. The ASI’s Bhubaneswar Circle had asked the state government several times to seek the approval of the ASI’s director general to execute the work within the periphery of the Lingaraj Temple. However, the ASI authorities in Delhi have yet to receive an official letter from the state government on the subject.1

The Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASRA), 1958, states that a prohibited area comprises up to 100 metres in all directions from a protected monument, while a regulated area comprises up to 200 metres around such monuments.

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The discovery of the temple floor near the Sari temple has had a contradictory impact on ASI officials. While they exult in the discovery itself, there is also despair because the upper portions of the temple were destroyed in the demolition drives and the ASI authorities have not been able to locate the debris from the site, which may contain valuable ancient archaeological remains and sculptures.23

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• 1. “The state government has not taken permission for the development work in the heritage site,” emphasised Arun Malik, superintending archaeologist, ASI Bhubaneswar Circle. “They used to call me for various meetings and after each meeting I told them to submit the project’s master plan to the ASI as they would be working in a prohibited area. But we have not received anything from the state government to date.”
• 2. “We have found some archaeological remains but tonnes of soil, stones and archaeological remnants have been thrown away by BMC and OBCC. We have no idea where the debris from the site has been dumped. That debris is important as it must contain valuable evidence of ancient structures,” said Malik.
• 3. Sushant Kumar Kar, head of excavation wing, ASI, said, “Normally stone debris is kept to identify its importance in relation to the site. This is a priceless loss. We can’t recreate a 1,000-year-old monument. When archeologically important sites are excavated, certain guidelines have to be followed. Unfortunately they have not been followed by the state government. The ASI has written several times to the state government, but our letters have been ignored.”