World Heritage Day: Rampant encroachment a bane of Sisupalgarh’s existence

Despite being a nationally protected monument, Sisupalgarh, the ancient city, under Lingipur Panchayat on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, is struggling for its existence due to rampant encroachment by land sharks.

The historical place was once spread over around 563 acres of land but now it has been reduced to just 775 decimals. From this, the rate at which the encroachment is going on can well be imagined. All such illegal activities are happening despite the fact that Sisupalgarh is a restricted zone where digging even a one-foot-deep hole is considered illegal.

Sisupalgarh entrance

In March this year, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) authorities were at their wit's end to find the 2300-year-old boundary wall of the fortress cut. This prompted the ASI authorities to lodge a complaint against unidentified miscreants at Dhauli police station in Bhubaneswar. 

What is ironic is that all such illegal activities are happening as the district administration and the ASI authorities are looking the other way. 

Following the boundary wall cut incident, Bhubaneswar Revenue Inspector Niranjan Nayak was contacted and his answer was rather baffling. 

He had said, “We have been creating awareness among the people to protect the garh (Sisupalgarh). Such illegal activities are generally carried out at night. So there is little scope for us to know who the culprits are. We have been asking people to oppose those who are carrying out such activities.”

What is raising a few eyebrows is that the encroachment is going on unabated even as the Orissa High Court, while hearing a petition filed by the ASI, directed the district administration to take steps to evict the encroachers in 2022. 

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Odisha has been holding the inertia of the State government and ASI responsible for the ancient city’s present pathetic state. 

History of Sisupalgarh

Sisupalgarh ruins are divided into two major parts-the remains of the fort and 16 pillars or locally known as ‘Shola Khumba’. Sisupalgarh was excavated by noted archaeologist BB Lal in 1948. On November 13, 1950, the status of ancient heritage was accorded to it. The excavation resumed in 2005, bringing the ancient city to the fore. 

During Samrat Ashok’s time, it was known as Toshali Nagar. However, with the passage of time, the city was christened after Sisupal, an ancestor of King Kharavela. Thus, it got its name Sisupalgarh. From the architectural pattern and the discovered artefacts, it was assumed that the fort city flourished between the 3rd Century BC and the 4th century AD.

16 pillars

In ancient times, the concept of ‘Jala Durga’ was popular among kings. The term ‘Jala Durga’ means a fort (durga) in water (jal). These forts were of two types-island fort and land fort. Island forts were surrounded by natural water bodies while land forts were surrounded by artificial water bodies that were known as moats. These moats were generally connected with a natural source of water so that they were irrigated all throughout the year. 

From this, it is assumed that Sisupalgarh is based on the concept of land fort. 

The 16 pillars or ‘Shola Khambas’ are now standing as mute spectators of the city’s golden era. Local residents say there can be more such pillars buried under the earth. These pillars are attracting visitors and historians alike. But the purpose of these pillars is still to be found.