The emergence of the 16 old Samadhis of the Siva Tirtha Mutt in the Old Town is drawing a lot of interest from locals, scholars and historians. The existence of these Samadhis was made by historian and heritage expert Anil Dhir and reported to the authorities and the Archaeological Survey of India last month.
The Samadhis, half buried under rubble and vegetation, had been long forgotten and had been encroached upon from all sides. The six buildings in front of it were slated for demolitions after the No Objection Certificates had been obtained from the owners. Had the existence of the Samadhis not been reported, they would have been buried under the debris and removed with the rubble. The present demolition was done in a controlled and careful manner, ensuring that no damage was done to the Samadhis. In fact, the demolition stopped just two feet away from the structures, said Dhir.
Dhir said that these groups of Samadhis are of the earlier Mahants of the Siva Tirtha Mutt which dates back to the late 11th Century CE and its origin is contemporary with that of the Lingaraj Temple. The mutt, which has lost a lot of its relevance, was once an important centre and had many responsibilities in the day to day affairs of the temple. Various religious functions were assigned to it, including many rituals during the annual Rukuna Rath Yatra.
Dr Biswajit Mohanty has reiterated the need of an impact assessment report by experts before undertaking any renovation projects in ancient religious and heritage sites. He said that wanton destruction of culturally significant structures was tantamount to criminal trespass and vandalism.