The Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage (DAMH) will collaborate with the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, to locate monuments that may have been obscured from view owing to time, in the landscape of Lakkundi, which was a prominent urban centre between the 10th and 12th centuries CE, in Gadag district.

For, the local tradition vouches for the presence of 101 wells and 101 temples, most of which are concealed and hence are not visible. There is a perception that Lakkundi’s known monuments may only be part of its larger archaeological story and it may be holding more than what is apparent and exposed on the surface.

To unravel this, DAMH has roped in NIAS which will harness state-of-the-art digital and scientific technologies for the documentation of the archaeological sites. The outcome at the end of six months, is expected to present a more precise picture of a heritage landscape.

An MoU was signed on August 27, and will pave the way for use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) surveys, GIS mapping, remote sensing, ground penetrating radar (GPR), drone documentation, photogrammetry other digital technologies, according to A. Devaraju, Commissioner, DAMH.

Discussions with ISRO

He said the issue was first discussed by then Minister H.K. Patil with former ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar who mooted the idea of using LiDAR and suggested that NIAS could be roped in. Senior officials of NIAS recently made a presentation on the use of LiDAR and other digital technologies in archaeological excavations, to map and pinpoint artefacts, if any, under vegetation or overgrowth and it paved way for the MoU, Mr. Devaraju added.

The NIAS will study old photographs, undertake remote sensing and scan the area to identify potential locations of buried or concealed structures.

The information could then help the department narrow locations for excavation rather than relying on conventional surveys covering a large area, according to authorities.

As per the MoU, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) will be constituted by both institutions to oversee the operations. Officials stated that this initiative will serve as a new roadmap for the sustainable development, conservation, and management of monuments and cultural heritage sites.

Lakkundi, which was known as Lokki-Gundi in inscriptions as per records, occupies an important position in Indian architectural history. The monuments that have been conserved, belong to the Kalyana-Chalukya period that ruled tracts of Deccan and south India between the 10th and 12th centuries CE. Art historians aver that the temples exhibit a hybrid or Vesara style that is a blending of Nagara, Dravida, and Bhumija styles.

The project assumes significance as the State government is preparing a DPR to propose Lakkundi for inclusion in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In other places

Similar technology-based studies are proposed for the ancient sites of Nagavi, the site of an ancient place of learning, in Chittapur, Kalaburagi district, and Rajghatta near Doddaballapur. ‘”Once the exercise in Lakkundi is completed, we plan to involve NIAS for similar studies at Nagavi and Rajghatta as well,” said Mr. Devaraju.

(The writer is a freelance journalist)