GUWAHATI, May 27 ? Following the directive from the Union Tourism and Culture Ministry, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Guwahati Circle, has sent a proposal to the ASI Director General to declare the historic Kamakhya temple on the Nilachal hillock in the city, as a ?monument of national importance?.
In its proposal to the ASI DG, the ASI Guwahati Circle, on May 6, 2003, described the Shakti shrine as a ?living monument? with a large number of the visitors visiting it daily. Practice of animal sacrifice is still prevalent in the monument, while ?modern constructions? have been carried out within its complex. If the monument is declared as that of a national importance, then the modern structures within the complex will need to be removed, said the Guwahati circle proposal sent in Form-B.
However, it said, ?the local pandas who are directly involved with the temple are not in favour of handing over the same to ASI?. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI, Guwahati Circle, Dr Syed Jamal Hasan said that the priests of the famous temple were perhaps not aware that the ASI?s taking over the monument would in no way prevent them from offering pujas inside the temple.
The main purpose of the ASI?s taking over a monument is to preserve and conserve the monument as per the original, for the posterity, he said. Commenting on the archaeological status of the Kamakhya temple, Dr Hasan said that the temple?s structure was dated back to 5th to 12th century AD. It was renovated by the Koch king Naranarayana and his brother famous general Chilarai in 1565 AD. But, today, a large number of modern constructions, that too in a haphazard manner, is there in the complex of the temple. This has undermined the originality of the architecture of this famous temple, he regretted.
The taking over of the temple, Dr Hasan said, would mean that the architectures having archaeological value in the entire temple complex would be managed by the Government of India and the modern structures, which were assessed to be around 30 per cent of the structures in the temple complex, would be removed. It is a heritage structure and it is our duty to preserve our cultural heritage as defined in our Constitution. The misgivings of the priests about the prospect of the temple as a Shakti shrine should be removed by the conscious people of the State, Dr Hasan said.
It is worthmentioning here that the Debuttar Board of the Kamakhya temple on May 6, 2003 told the ASI, in reply to the queries made by the Central Government agency on May 2, 2003, that the three hills of Brahma, Shiva and Varaha or Vishnu collectively called the Nilachal Hills, wherein the temple complex of the Dasamahavidya is situated, formed ?part of the inalienable Debuttar estate of the deity of Sri Sri Kamakhya?. Further, it said, the Debuttar Board was involved in the management of all affairs of the deity of Sri Sri Kamakhya.
The Guwahati Circle of the ASI enquired about the ownership of the land of the Kamakhya temple and also about the willingness of the owner to enter into an agreement with the ASI and if it was willing under what conditions, in its letter to the Debuttar Board on May 2, 2003. On the same date, the Guwahati Circle office of the ASI also requested the Kamrup District administration to furnish the necessary revenue data, cadastral map and information on the ownership of the Kamakhya temple land. A reply from the Kamrup District administration to this letter is still awaited.
When asked to clarify whether the ASI was active to bring the famous Shakti shrine under its care also because of the dis-stabilisation taking place in the soil morphology of the Nilachal hillock, Dr Hasan said that the ASI was more concerned with the archaeological importance of the temple. No doubt, number of people have been cutting the hill now-a-days in an unauthorised manner and illegal structures are also springing up on the hillock, he said.
It may be mentioned here that the ASI had earlier taken over a number of monuments - viz, the Dancing Bhairava, the stone gate way, Bala-Bhairavi, figure of Narakasura, Shiva Lingas, miniature Shikhar Shrines, four-handed Bhairavi and two-handed Bhairavi, among others, on the Nilachal hillock, for preservation. Dr Hasan claimed that there might have been over 50 temples on the hillock between the 9th and 11th centuries AD.