The fortress, temple and other monuments spread over Haripurgarh, an ancient capital of the erstwhile princely State of Mayurbhanj, will be preserved and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Haripurgarh is about 17 km from the district headquarters town of Baripada and there has been a longstanding demand for its takeover by the ASI.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in May this year, had written to Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma over the takeover of the Haripurgarhfortress as well as of Bhringeswar Mandir of Angul district and Kanakeswar Mahadev Mandir of Dhenkanal district. Sharma then had responded positively.
The work of ASI at Haripurgarh is likely to begin from December this year, it is learnt. The development has now elated the heritagelovers of Mayurbhanj.