Blurb
The state government is preparing to include Lakkundi in the UNESCO list. Tourism Minister H.K. Patil said that a proposal in this regard will be submitted within two months.
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
The Karnataka government has intensified efforts to secure UNESCO recognition for the historic town of Lakkundi, with Tourism Minister H. K. Patil announcing that a formal proposal will be submitted within the next two months.
Patil said the government has already constituted the Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority and a State-Level Advisory Committee to oversee preservation and development activities in the heritage town.
The minister stated that the authority has begun functioning from its headquarters in Gadag and that the state government has undertaken extensive restoration and archaeological initiatives in Lakkundi over the last three years.
Patil said the first phase of archaeological excavations has already commenced in the region. He revealed that officials had conducted a large-scale public outreach campaign by travelling across the Gram Panchayat limits carrying symbolic palanquins and appealing to villagers to voluntarily hand over ancient artefacts in their possession.
According to him, local residents responded positively and more than 3,000 relics have been collected so far. Initially, around 1,500 artefacts were received, while another 1,400 were later handed over during a public awareness drive that continued beyond the planned one-week programme.
The government has also launched efforts to identify the historic “100 temples and 100 wells” associated with Lakkundi’s heritage. As part of the first phase, five temples and five wells have already been unveiled.
Patil said that so far 32 temples and 36 wells have been identified, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining structures. The government has fixed a target to complete the identification process by December this year.
Calling it a record achievement, the minister said thousands of artefacts were recovered within a short period through excavation and public cooperation. Plans are also underway to establish an open-air museum on a three-acre site to preserve and display the findings.
He further revealed that permission is being sought for additional excavations and restoration of the historic two-kilometre fort wall in Lakkundi. The government has already declared 16 monuments in the area as protected state monuments.
Officials said several relics belonging to the Chalukya and Hoysala periods have been discovered, including antique gold ornaments estimated to be nearly 600 years old. A committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner has reportedly valued the ornaments at around Rs 8 crore.
