Context: Excavations which began on January 16 on the premises of the Kote Veerabhadreshwar temple in Lakkundi village of Gadag district have yielded relics dating back to the Neolithic period, giving a fillip to the push for its nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
- The yield of Neolithic relics came close on the heels of a “treasure” being found by a family in the village while digging to lay the foundation for a house.
Hundred wells
- The excavation here — about 12 kilometres from district headquarters Gadag and once known as ‘village of hundred wells and temples’ — are part of sustained efforts to restore the historical significance of Lakkundi.
- It is believed that several architectural wonders still remain covered by houses and other structures or buried beneath the ground in the village. Earlier known as Lokkigundi, the village finds mention in inscriptions dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. In these inscriptions the place is compared to Amaravati, the capital of Indra in terms of affluence.
- Lakkundi was also known for its “tankashale” (mint). Lakkundi was under the rule of the Chalukya, the Yadava, and the Hoysala kings, and was the capital of Hoysala king Eradane Ballala (Veeraballala) in 1192 A.D.
- Lakkundi was the “Karmabhoomi” of queen Attimabbe, an ardent follower of Jainism known for her philanthropic works.
- It is said that the queen who lived in the 11th century, built many temples and Jain basadis and also sank wells for the benefit of people. An award in her name (Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Prashasti) has been instituted by the State government.
- While Jainism prospered in Lakkundi, it also gave shelter to 12th century sharanas like Shivasharana Ajaganna and Sharane Muktayakka who propagated Basaveshwara’s message.
- Several of Lakkundi’s architectural wonders no longer exist now and the Mumbai State Gazetteer mentions only 13 temples having architectural style of Kalyana Chalukyas. Even the wells in Lakkundi are known for their carvings.
Pending project
- Uncovering the buried temple structures and wells has been a long pending project, and under the initiative of H.K. Patil, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and also Tourism, it has been revived.
- As a prelude to the excavation, the Karnataka State Tourism Department Corporation (KSTDC) along with the Archaeology Museums and Heritage Department had launched an initiative in November, 2024, to collect historical relics from the households in the village. Under this, 1,050 historical relics were received from the residents and 13 inscriptions identified. Several of them now find a place in the open museum at Lakkundi for the establishment of which, the residents have joined hands with Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority by parting with their lands.
With INTACH
- The Tourism Department is also giving a push to the proposal to include a group of monuments at Lakkundi along with temples from surrounding places in the UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites. This is in line with the Budget announcement on getting UNESCO tag for Lakkundi.
- The State has tied up with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to finetune the proposal.
- “So far, two meetings have been held in this regard and they (INTACH) are in the process of finalising the proposal,” Commissioner of Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority Sharanu Gogeri told The Hindu.
- There are seven ASI protected monuments in Lakkundi and the State has declared 16 temple structures in the village as protected monuments and plans to add eight more to the list by the month-end. The authority has been directed to carry out a comprehensive study and submit a report on including 20 more temples and other structures to the list, which is likely to happen in February.
Shifting village?
- There is also a proposal to shift the village to facilitate restoration of the ancient monuments, but any decision on the relocation will be based on the outcome of the excavation and other surveys of ancient structures being carried out simultaneously.