In the wake of the treasure trove unearthed in the Ananta Padmanabhaswamy temple in Tiruvananthapuram, antique collectors and treasure hunters are seriously engaged in indiscriminate pillaging in ancient temples across the district to make easy money. This is posing a threat to monuments and historical sites as smugglers are demolishing even giant structures in search of treasure.
Last year, smugglers plundered monuments in Pulakunta and Chennampalli near the Gooty fort in Kadiri. The encroachers have scanned every inch of Gagan Mahal and the fort in Penukonda though the Archaeological Survey of India served notices to them. Some unidentified smugglers looted gold coins after destroying the third threshold in the Gooty fort. Now, unidentified persons have dug up subterranean treasure cavities in the Gooty fort on Sunday. Plunderers have resorted to excavate even sancta sanctorum in temples as was evident by the looting of treasure in the Akkammagarla temple in Badnapalli village in Dharmavaram mandal.
Thousands of Nandi and Shivalinga sculptures that were demolished across the district are evidence of plunder and looting. Archaeology officials lament that inadequate funds to deploy watchers at all monuments is the reason for treasure hunting and this became rampant after the government cancelled the jobs of part time watcher in 1993. A total of 44 monuments are listed under protected monuments by the Archaeology department of which 25 are under the protection of local endowment committees and the others have no security.
Some treasure hunters are combing forest and remote areas in search of Maoist dumps. A large number of people are engaged in search of precious stones in the Nallamala forest, especially along the Kurnool Prakasam district border. Heritage lovers and environmentalists urge the government to take appropriate measures to maintain ecological balance in forests and protect monuments as well as ancient temples.
Source: Deccan Chronicle [July 27, 2011]
Last year, smugglers plundered monuments in Pulakunta and Chennampalli near the Gooty fort in Kadiri. The encroachers have scanned every inch of Gagan Mahal and the fort in Penukonda though the Archaeological Survey of India served notices to them. Some unidentified smugglers looted gold coins after destroying the third threshold in the Gooty fort. Now, unidentified persons have dug up subterranean treasure cavities in the Gooty fort on Sunday. Plunderers have resorted to excavate even sancta sanctorum in temples as was evident by the looting of treasure in the Akkammagarla temple in Badnapalli village in Dharmavaram mandal.
Thousands of Nandi and Shivalinga sculptures that were demolished across the district are evidence of plunder and looting. Archaeology officials lament that inadequate funds to deploy watchers at all monuments is the reason for treasure hunting and this became rampant after the government cancelled the jobs of part time watcher in 1993. A total of 44 monuments are listed under protected monuments by the Archaeology department of which 25 are under the protection of local endowment committees and the others have no security.
Some treasure hunters are combing forest and remote areas in search of Maoist dumps. A large number of people are engaged in search of precious stones in the Nallamala forest, especially along the Kurnool Prakasam district border. Heritage lovers and environmentalists urge the government to take appropriate measures to maintain ecological balance in forests and protect monuments as well as ancient temples.
Source: Deccan Chronicle [July 27, 2011]