Mandku Dweep A Beautiful Tourist Place of Chhattisgarh

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• published: 29 Jun 2014
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Veteran archaeologist and state's archaeological adviser Arun Sharma, who had excavated this site, told that there are 19 Shiv temples of which nine are 'Smatk Ling'- all belonging to Ratanpur kings of Kalchuri period. "As per legend, Madku Dweep was originally called Mandku Dweep. It was named so because Mandku Rishi (sage) established this ashram here and composed the Mandku Upanishad. During excavation, a sculpture of Krishna, Uma, Ganesha along with Shivlingas have been found," he said. he had proposed the construction of dome and steps to prevent the backwaters from affecting the site. Initially, forest department planted some saplings as part of beautification but it was not looked after. "If steps are not taken for protection soon, the dinking of fine-silt on which the foundations of temple have been laid, would lead to destruction of one of the most valuable and religious monuments. Nearby cities: Bhatapara, LAWAN CITY, Shivrinarayan Coordinates: 21°50'18"N 81°56'59"E MUNGELI (CHHATTISGARH): Ancient Madku Dweep, the group of 19 temples from the 11th-14th century Kalchuri periods in the Mungeli district of Chhattisgarh, is facing a serious threat. During the last three monsoons, backwaters from Shivnath, the biggest tributary of Mahanadi River, has been continuously causing damage as the state archaeology department had abruptly abandoned construction of the dome to protect these monuments. Pillars were constructed but the dome is still not in sight. It is not that funds are not available. Rs 40 lakh, including Rs 20 lakh sanctioned from the Rajya Sabha member Shreegopal Vyas's MP Local Area Development Fund (MPLAD), is lying unutilized as the work was abandoned midway. Nobody knows what went wrong and who is responsible for the neglect. BJP's veteran Rajya Sabha member, Vyas told TOI, "Keeping in view the importance of this archaeological site, I have got Rs 20 lakh sanctioned from MPLAD and the state sanctioned a further Rs 20 lakh. Few pillars were constructed for the proposed dome but the Mungeli collector stopped work abruptly."