Lakkundi heritage authority plans to dig deeper to unearth historical marvels

Hubballi: With the excavation reaching the depth of seven feet at a 10X10 metre site in historic Lakkundi in Gadag district, the authorities plan to dig deeper from Friday hoping to unearth historical marvels from the erstwhile capital of Hoysala and Kalayni Chalukyas.

After the excavation at the site between Kote Veerabhadreshwar Temple and Siddarabavi began on January 16, stone Panipeetha, Jinabiombapeetha, clay coin, Nagara stone, metal lamp, part of Linga, broken pot and bones have been found. As the original ground level of the area is supposed to be around seven feet below due to the accumulation of mud over the centuries, the excavation will henceforth be comparatively more delicate, slow, and cautious.

"The excavation of earth carried out, so far, was 1 to 1.5-foot per day. The excavation team has reached a depth of seven feet. Starting Friday, the excavation will be only for two to three inches per day as it has now reached the earlier ground level. The digging will go on up to 14 feet, and it may take four months of time," said Lakkundgi Heritage Area Development Authority chairman Sharanu Gogeri.

It is believed, Kote Veerabhadreshwar Temple and Siddarabavi had a unique connectivity. Something like stone steps or anything of archaeological importance are expected, he noted.

The chief minister had formally initiated the excavation in June last year after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) gave permission. The actual commencement of the excavation was delayed due to the rains. Now, a total of 34 workers are engaged in the excavation led by a retired ASI officer.

There is a saying that the number of historical temples and step-wells is 101 each in Lakkundi, a major centre during the times of Kalyani Chalukya, Hoysala, Kalachuri and Vijayanagara empires. Though the number of such structures found today is less, several houses have come up on the structures below the ground, it is said.

It is being planned to propose the government for excavation at more sites and shift families having houses at/over historical structures, Gogeri said.

Gadag District In-charge and Tourism Minister H K Patil has said 16 sites at Lakkundi are declared state-protected monuments so far, eight temples are expected to get this tag by February-end, and the authority is asked to propose the government in a month to include 20 more structures in the list. The village has seven centrally-protected monuments.

Siddu Patil from Lakkundi, who is also a member of the authority, stated that elders used to talk about the steps connecting Kote Veerabhadreshwar Temple and Siddarabavi, and other archaeological relics. Efforts are being made to make maximum historical structures visible, he added.

Honesty pays, Ritti family to get plot

The Lakkundi Gram Panchayat has decided to allot a 30X40 site to the family of Prajwal Ritti who sincerely handed over the gold ornaments and other articles, found while digging for the foundation of a house in the village, to the state government.

A decision in this regard was taken during the special gram sabha held at Lakkundi on Thursday. The Ritti family will be provided a plot at the Maruti Nagar in the village. 

In order to inspire other children on the path of Prajwal, the meeting decided to put up a writing about Prajwal's honest deed, along with his photo, at all the schools coming under the gram panchayat. The Ritti family was honoured on the occasion.