Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Heritage sites’ preservation needs expert touch

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Crying for attention: Bavikonda, one of the most famous Buddhist sites .

VISAKHAPATNAM: Officially, the documented history of this city may date back to a couple of hundred years as per the bureaucratic gazette. The document gives a clear picture of the early Dutch and English settlements, but throws no light on the city’s ancient heritage. Thanks to the accidental discovery of Thotlakonda by a naval helicopter pilot, a number of ancient Buddhist sites have been uncovered. The discoveries brought to the fore that the city had a rich past that goes beyond the second century BC.

K. Chitti Babu, Assistant Director of Department of Archaeology, has informed The Hindu that there are more than 32 Buddhist sites in this region out of which 23 have been excavated and have gained prominence.

“The excavations reveal that the district was an important Buddhist hub. It has been established that the Buddhist settlements ranged from the third century BC to third century AD, and it was dominated by the Hinayana sect, though there are evidences that other sects like Vajrayana and Mahayana co-existed in phases,” says the Assistant Director.

There is ample proof of a rich historical heritage, but are the discoveries being given their due respect? Ranee Sarma, co-convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), points out that the negligence is high on part of the authorities.

“Discovering and preserving archaeological finds need expertise. The restoration and preservation of important sites like Thotlakonda was left to government agencies like VUDA. Such ancient sites need to be restored and preserved without losing its originality and its sanctity. There was a dining hall for the monks at the site. It was a beautiful stone structure, the authorities in order to conserve it have cemented the structure in the process the originality is lost. This is just one such example to highlight the unprofessional attitude of the authorities,” she says.

‘Expertise’ is the key word in excavating, restoring and conserving heritage sites. Mr. Chitti Babu points out that the work should be left to the experts. “In the case of Thotlakonda, the then district collector ordered for the setting up of new Buddhist idols and figures to beautify the spot, despite strong pleas from the archaeology department that the site was a Hinayana sect settlement and the sect did not believe in idol worship. It has lost its originality,” he says.

Y. Narasimha Rao, president of The Indian Institute of Architects, opines that historical monuments and sites are preserved only to document history in its original form. “If the originality is lost, then where is the need to preserve it?”

Mr. Rao also points out that none of the sites have been listed by the authorities, so far.

Ancient structures are basically listed under three categories: One that needs to be preserved in its original shape, sites preserved with little modifications and sites preserved and modified for commercial purposes (like the numerous forts in Rajasthan that have been converted to hotels and resorts). All the Buddhist sites here, be it Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Pavuralakonda, Dwarapalem or Sankaram, come under the first category of listing.

Ms. Ranee Sarma further points out that the government through its latest order has removed the provision of buffer zone in all heritage sites. “As per the statutory rule, every historical site or monument should have a buffer zone of 40 metres all around.

The removal of the buffer zone, will give very little protection to the monuments. The sites are yet to be fully explored and excavated and there is encroachment on all sides by the authorities, in the name of building facilities,” she says.

Apart from the ancient Buddhist sites, little importance is being given to the old Dutch and English graves, the only remnants of that period, in Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam. The cemetery in Kummaripalem in Bheemunipatnam has been vandalised and has become an open public lavatory. The same is the case with the cemetery in the Old Town area.

Ms. Ranee Sarma opines that holistically heritage is classified into two: natural and cultural. While on the one side there is defacing of cultural heritage that includes old buildings, monuments and traditional forms of dances, natural heritage has been totally neglected on the other.

“The green cover in the city is lost, the hills are being deforested and denuded, the perennial water sources like Uttagedda other geddas have been reduced to drains and the gross violation of CRZ, speak volumes of the degradation of natural resources. Heritage, natural or cultural, is part of the city’s landscape, it belongs to people and once destroyed, you cannot get them back,” she laments.

While the blame game is on, the Department of Archaeology is seriously understaffed and badly funded to take up things on its own.

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