Andhra Pradesh

Save pre-Sathavahana site

HYDERABAD: An archaeological emergency is unfolding in Kotalingala village in Karimnagar district.

The village, a home to the 120-acre invaluable, pre-Sathavahana site in the country, is inching towards submersion by the swirling waters of Godavari under the Yellampally project.It is not that the Department of Archaeology is unaware of the historical, archaeological and cultural significance of the site which yielded valuable finds in the sample excavation done between 1978 and 1983.

“Then itself, the department had resolved that the site deserved a detailed, systematic and thorough excavation to know more about pre-Sathavahana period not documented anywhere,” says Dr. V. V. Krishna Sastry, former director of department, in whose tenure the first excavation was taken up.

“It was one of the greatest excavation sites in my career”, he said. “We had excavated just about an acre of the identified site with limited resources at our disposal. Yet, it gave us a rich yield of 450 coins, gold beads, pottery, decorative art of pre-Sathavahana period. The site threw up remnants of fort, stupa, ancient Siva temple, open wells, connecting channels. Thanks to Kotalingala coins, the world came to know that Sathavahana kings were the successors of Andhra kings who ruled from Kotalingala, their capital those days,” he added.

The Archaeology Department officials on the other hand said they had written to the Central Advisory Board for Archaeology for licence to excavate the site. They maintain that the site will not be submerged as it will be barricaded off to form an island. The department without a full time director apparently is unable to exert adequate pressure to accord priority to Kotalingala excavations.

Dr. Sastry says that Archaeology Department is as responsible as ASI and it could take decisions on excavations in an emergency like this.

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