Antiquities damaged in Hampi Utsav preparation

Hampi is a UNESCO world heritage site in Karnataka's Bellary district

While Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site in Karnataka's Bellary district, commences its annual festival, archaeologists are concerned about the ensuing destruction of the city's priceless antiquities.

Once the capital of the Vijaynagara empire and home to around 56 monuments built in 14th century AD, Hampi also known as "city of ruins" is facing a conflict between development and preservation, say archaeologists. The annual "Hampi Utsav" which begins from January 10 here has caused frequent damages to the world heritage site, point out archaeologists and other experts.

"Last Thursday, a trench around 200 metres-long was dug near the Fort Wall and the Queen's Bath to lay a water line for the Utsav. As the excavator dug, antiquities surfaced and got crushed," Archaeo-logical Survey of India's heritage site manager N C Prakash Nayakanda said in an interview. An antique earthen pot, lying underneath got crushed and several other antiques lying beneath the ground may also have got damaged, he said. Nayakanda said that such protected areas only allowed trained archaeologists to carry out excavations.

"What happened was illegal and the matter has been taken into consideration," he said. "JCB (excavators) are not supposed to be allowed at all here. After all, these are archaeological sites of national importance. The JCBs may have affected the deposits lying underneath also, he pointed out.

Earlier last week, a couple of pillars of the ancient "saalu mantap" at the Krishna bazaar were damaged when a truck, loaded with decoration materials for the Utsav dashed against it. Designed and constructed in 1422 AD during Sangama King Prouda Devaraya's reign, the 'Saalu Mantapas' are structures which stretch 160 feet in length and 30 feet in width. The state government had recently initiated restoration work on monuments at Hampi following continuous deterioration due to poor maintenance. However, experts say that poor management and vastness of the area have led to damage to the site on several occasions and such incidents have been recurring at Hampi ever since the restoration work began here.

"The restoration work has to be done by identifying each and every monument that is in need of repair specially taking the vastness of the area into consideration," Divay Gupta, Principal Director, Architectural Heritage Division, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in Delhi. Gupta said it was necessary to involve local people and get their cooperation in the process of restoration.

Spread across 25 square kilometers, the Hampi ruins are a Unesco World Heritage Site and listed as a Group of Monuments. Different levels of authorities and agencies have mandates that influence the protection and management of the property under a diversity of acts.

The Central government along with the ASI and Karnataka government are responsible for the protection and management of the fifty-six nationally protected monuments.