By Our Correspondent
JAJPUR/BHUBANESWAR:A rare Ramayana memorial stone has been discovered near the bank of a pond at the foothills of Mahavinayak Hill in Jajpur district. Acting on information provided by Kamal Lochan Panda, a servitor of the Mahavinayak Temple, members of the Rediscover Lost Heritage Trust identified this significant ancient relic. The heritage exploration team included Kamallochan Panda, Deepak Kumar Nayak, Nrupati Nihar Sial, and Suman Prakash Swain.
Providing further details, heritage researcher Deepak Kumar Nayak stated that various types of memorial stones are found across Odisha and other parts of India. These stones sometimes appear as hero stones (Veerashila), commemorating warriors who sacrificed their lives in battle, while at other times they depict historical or mythological events. However, memorial stones depicting characters or narratives from the Ramayana are extremely rare in Odisha. The discovered stone, measuring approximately 2 feet in height and 1 foot in width, features an engraving of Lord Hanuman holding a mace and a mountain. Above this, an image of Lord Rama as an archer is carved. While depictions of the Ramayana are commonly found in temple architecture and traditional art across Odisha, the portrayal of its central characters on a standalone memorial stone is exceptionally rare, Nayak added.
According to Nrupati Nihar Siala, a member of the Rediscover Lost Heritage Trust, Chandikhole is a historically rich region that showcases a confluence of both Buddhist and Hindu archaeological heritage. The Mahavinayak Temple is believed to have been originally constructed during the Eastern Ganga period and later destroyed during external invasions. The present structure has been rebuilt over the remains of the earlier temple. Although it is difficult to precisely determine the age of the memorial stone, considering the historical background of the Mahavinayak Temple, there is a strong possibility that it dates back to the Eastern Ganga period.
The members of the Rediscover Lost Heritage Trust have emphasized the urgent need to preserve this rare historical artifact and have appealed for its immediate relocation to a museum or within the premises of the Mahavinayak Temple for proper protection.
