CM inaugurates excavation in Lakkundi
Gadag: With the inauguration of the excavation of the historical site Kote Veerabhadreshwara Temple in Lakkundi by the chief minister,
Siddaramaiah
, on Tuesday, hopes of getting crucial clues have multiplied among history enthusiasts of the state and nation as well.
Meanwhile, the Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority is preparing for an open museum on the lines of Warangal in Telangana.
CM Siddaramaiah said that the govt is committed to establishing an open museum in Lakkundi. "This village, Lakkundi, was the capital of the Chalukyas, who constructed temples and a fort here. Remnants of these structures have provided historical information. We provided the required funds to unearth historical structures and artefacts, and that is why conservation became possible here," he claimed.
He attributed law minister HK Patil's interest as the reason for launching an excavation in Lakkundi. He thanked the residents of Lakkundi who transferred their land and houses, where relics were found, to the govt.
It should be noted that Lakkundi is one of the 844 sites notified for protection. Govt departments like tourism, archaeology, museums, and heritage organised a special campaign between Nov 22 to 24 last year to collect relics from the doorsteps of villagers.
The campaign collected over 1,500 relics, and they will be displayed in an open museum of 4 acres. The govt announced funds for the museum in the current year's budget.
A team of experts already visited Warangal and opined that a museum better than the one in Warangal can be established here.
According to Patil, who is also in charge of Gadag district, Lakkundi villagers are very cooperative with the excavation. "Experts have said that if 27 families leave their houses, five temples can be traced.
Most of the house owners agreed to give up their properties, and we will provide alternative accommodation to them," he shared.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) conducted a study and submitted a nomination to get a world heritage tag for Lakkundi. The govt is mulling submitting a request to the International Council on Monuments and Sites to add Lakkundi to the world heritage temporary list.
Gadag residentse believe that Lakkundi could become a bigger world heritage site than Hampi if it is excavated and developed properly. The previous excavation was in 2004-05 in Lakkundi, and various important relics were found then.
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