WALL COLLAPSED AT THE FAMOUS BUDDHIST SHRINE

WALL COLLAPSED AT THE FAMOUS BUDDHIST SHRINE 04/04/2012

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA, BUREAU CHIEF , THESE DAYS, ODISHA

ODISHA NEWS/BHUBANESWAR



A major portion of the wall of Udayagiri a famous Buddhist site of Jajpur district collapsed recently due to slipshod attitude of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).


This wall was on the verge of collapse since long . But the ASI failed to repair it for which the was caved in. The government last year granted 14 crores to the ASI to conserve the Buddhist sites at Lalitagiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri . But the authority is yet to repair all the Buddhist sites”, said Dr Nrusingh Charana Sahoo a researcher of the district.


“The authority termed these areas as treasure houses of history that is just waiting for the arrival of large numbers of tourists. The government is preparing an ambitious master plan to develop Buddhist sites in Jajpur district as a tourist hub to attract more foreign and domestic travellers. Jajpur district has a special place on the World Buddhist spots. In fact, the government has recognized Jajpur as one of the most important Buddhist centers in the state and started developing them as Tourism spots. We will repair the damaged wall soon , said Ashok Kumar Patel the superintendent of ASI.


"The state government will spend 14 crores within four years to develop these Buddhist sites in Jajpur district", added Patel. The famous Buddhist sites in Lalitagiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri of the state are fit to get the status of World Heritage Sites like Sun Temple of Konark. But large scale of illegal quarrying near the hillocks of the famous Buddhist sites are the stumbling blocks to declare these Buddhist monasteries as World Heritage Sites, added the official of ASI.


The authority has recently imposed prohibitory order of section-144 of CRPC at Udayagiri hillock to prevent illegal quarry by some influential persons, added the official.