Most people are highly possessive of artefacts unearthed in their backyard, but residents of Machilipatnam’s Bandarkota area treasure something unusual: cannonballs. These solid metal shots from a past era of warfare have been turning up periodically in housing sites in the old parts of the town when they are excavated for construction.

Many households preserve the cannonballs, although a few simply dispose of them as scrap, unaware of their heritage value. “Unearthing old, used cannonballs is common in our area. I have one, and it is an echo of military history,” says local resident P. Hanumath Rao.

Machilipatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, houses an old armoury dating back to the Dutch era, which is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Famine and storm

Part of the structure collapsed in heavy rain in 2016. The fortunes of Bandarkota changed decisively after a storm in the 19th century. Tracing the history of the fort, the Manual of Kistna District by Gordon Mackenzie says: “The pestilence that followed on the famine of 1832-3 induced the authorities to station no more European troops at Bandar and the storm wave of 1864 caused the withdrawal of the last sepoy regiment and ended the history of Masulipatam as a military station.”

ASI monument assistant at the Dutch fort Subba Rao said his team had collected a cannonball from the local residents and put it on display.

A cannon was also kept on display at the entrance to the District Police grounds, after it was shifted from the railway station area.

“Until the 1960s, a cannon was operated by the local authorities without the use of cannonballs to avoid any untoward incident, producing just a deafening sound,” a local resident Mohammad Silar said.

Many families do not disclose their cannonball find, fearing that the ASI might recover them.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by T. Appala Naidu / Bandarkota – February 18th, 2019

The Kalingandhra Utsavam from February 8 to 14 is depicting history of Srikakulam in the form of replicas of temples and artefacts at the K.R. Stadium.

As many as 1.2 lakh people, including youngsters and schoolchildren, were enthralled by replicated inscriptions and rock edicts of the Kalingandhra history that goes as far as the 4th Century BC, said the festival in-charge and Sithampet Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer L. Shiva Sankar.

Srikakulam was part of the Kalinga dynasty, which was conquered by Mauryan king Ashoka in 261 B.C. Exhibits from the Salihundam and the Dantapuri heritage sites near Srikakulam shows the Buddhist influence on the region.

Other replicas include that of the Sri Kurmam temple, built in 7th Century A.D. by King Chola Ganga, and the Someswara Alayam, the Madhukeshwara Alayam and the Bhimeswara Alayam temples constructed between 7th and 9th centuries AD. The famous sun temple at Arasavalli, said to be built by Devendra Varma of the Kalinga dynasty in 7th Century A.D., is also on display, as is the Umarudra Koteswara temple of Srikakulam, constructed in 1774 and the Radhaswamy temple near Meliyaputti, constructed in 1810.

Religious tourism

“The State government is keen on promoting religious tourism in the district. That is why we have displayed replicas of the temples in the exhibition,” Mr. Sankar said.

According to him, the Mandasa fort, built in 1779, had been attracting a number of visitors.

From the modern era, a Dutch building, built on the banks of the Nagavali river in the 18th Century, is on display.

The exhibition features structures like the Nagavali Bridge, constructed in 1854, and the Srikakulam Municipal Office, which started functioning in 1856. A replica of the Dusi Railway, built in 1921, is also displayed.

A replica of the Gotta barrage, which irrigates more than 1 lakh acres and was built across the Vamsadhara river in 1979, has been attracting youngsters. History of personalities such as Kodi Ramamurthy, Garimella Satyanarayana, Adibhatla Kailasam, and Vempatapu China Satyam has been depicted.

“It is difficult to take history lessons for students. Moreover, local history is not part of our syllabus. Therefore, the festival has helped students know the history of Srikakulam, its culture and heritage,” said P.Srikanth, correspondent of the New Central School.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K. Srinivasa Rao / Srikakulam – February 14th, 2019

Uninterrupted excavations being conducted by locals in the prohibited areas around the ancient Dutch Armoury here are posing a grave risk to the safety of the protected monument, with the Archaeological Survey of India reportedly remaining a mute spectator.

Earlier, locals bulldozed a brick wall of the old building (known locally as Nizam Hospital, according to ASI) located within the prohibited area of 100 metres from the armoury.

Illegal structures

Since last December, a cattle shed was built in the prohibited area by taking up excavation work and erecting iron poles. Plans were afoot to bulldoze another wall of the roof-less building by erecting wooden poles to build another structure.

Attempt by locals to demolish a wall in the protected area was stopped after the police intervened in 2016.

Speaking to The Hindu, ASI (Amaravati circle) Conservation Assistant Venkata Satyanarayana Murthy said, “The activities of excavation and construction of the shed have been taken up by a private party within a distance of 50 metres from the existing Dutch armoury which is under our conservation. The family that engaged in disturbing the area and the old building (Nizam hospital) did not seek permission from ASI to take up any such activity in the protected area.”

“No person, other than an archaeological officer, shall carry out any construction in any prohibited area (100 metres from the border of the protected monument,” says The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.

Communication gap

Mr. Satyanarayana Murthy said that the Machilipatnam civic body has been instructed to stop the work in the protected area.

However, when contacted by The Hindu, Machilipatnam Municipal Commissioner P.J. Sampath Kumar confirmed that he did not receive any such communication from the ASI regarding the issue till Saturday (January 12).

A three-acre site on the campus of the old building (Nizam Hospital) has been cleared by the locals for construction activity within the prohibited area in the absence of the conservation measures by the ASI.

The Monument Assistants deployed at the Dutch armoury have reportedly been threatened by the private party, restricting them from entering the premises of the protected area when they tried to stop the excavation work, they said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh /  by Appala Naidu Tippana / Bandarkota(Krishna) – January 13th, 2019

Lodge Nicopolis No.81, which is generally known as Vizianagaram IV Masonic Temple, is going to get special attention in the New Year, thanks to the initiatives of newly-elected body for the preservation of its rich heritage and culture.

The Nicopolis No.81 constructed in 1909 by the then Maharaja of Vizianagaram Princely State Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju-IV will celebrate its 110th anniversary in the New Year. The programmes have been planned throughout the year to create awareness about the greatness of the temple which was founded on October 1, 1909.

Poly clinic

As part of the celebration, the new team of the Masonic Temple decided to allow common people to have glimpse of antiques on the premises. An exclusive room for the display of antiques is being created, according to the Worshipful Master of the temple Motamarry Srinivas. The temple also decided to take up service activities such as running poly clinic to ensure medical assistance to poor people at very nominal charges. “Our temple was instrumental in establishment of Polytechnic College in Vizianagaram. It has allocated its prime land for the construction of APSRTC complex, adjacent to the building. We will continue to take more activities in the year 2019-20,” he added.

According to him, the then Raja Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju-IV insisted for the service activities after he was inspired by the activities of such Lodge located in Kolkata. The members of such Lodges were called as brothers. The head of the Lodge is called as Worshipful Master. After serving as a ‘brother’ in Kolkata Lodge, he bought a few acres of prime land from Thotapalem Zamindars. He obtained permission from Scotland for its establishment in Vizianagaram. After serving one year, Mr. Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju relinquished the post and allowed local dignitary C. Mangayya Naidu to take charge Worshipful Master. Only four members of Raja’s family headed the institution.

Former Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju served as Master in the year 1973 and year 2009 on the eve of centenary celebrations.

According to Past Master D.S. Raju, free masonry is directly descended from associations of operative masons who travelled through Europe, employing secrets and skills of their crafts. The cathedral builders of the Middle Ages started to accept others ‘entry into their profession and it led to establishment of Grand Lodges across the world. Masonic Lodge is the basic unit of all Grand Lodges.

“Although the movement started with different reasons, now its primary objective is to serve the society. Honesty in business, fairness in work, love for one another and reverence for the God are promoted through the temple. All these objectives are being fulfilled by Vizianagaram Masonic Temple,” Dr. Raju said. Another Past Master G. Shiva Kumar said that the temple was offering its premises for functions, marriages and other programmes at nominal charges as part of the serving the society.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K Srinivasa Rao / Vizianagaram – January 01st, 2019