Ancient Well Dating Back To Thirteenth Century Rediscovered In Odisha Forest

An ancient well which may date back to the twelfth-thirteenth century has been rediscovered in Ambilijhari village inside Dalijoda forest ranges of Cuttack in Odisha. The well, which was a part local folklore for ages, had been totally engulfed in thick vegetation.

According to Anil Dhir of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the well has got unique decorative features, seldom seen in ancient Kalinga temples.

It is neither a step well nor a temple tank, the sunken shaft is 35 feet in depth and has a water level till 25 feet. The old stone blocks of earlier temples including potsherds and complete pottery indicates the presence of an ancient settlement and religious place.

Debjit Singh Deo, of the erstwhile Panchakot royalty, who resides in nearby Kila Dalijoda Palace, had the wild vegetation and thick shrubs cleared up with the help of the local tribals and the well was exposed for the first time in decades.

Deo had informed the find to the INTACH and a four-member team, comprising Dhir, Biswajit Mohanty, Deepak Nayak and Suman Prakash Swain visited the spot and carried out a survey of this ancient monument.

Assisted by the local tribals of Ambilijhari village, the team made a detailed study of the well and its environs. The Dalijoda well is built on a square plan with steps leading to the sunken shaft. The entire structure has immaculate geometry with neatly chiseled sandstone blocks on the lower level with laterite stone blocks on the upper levels.

The remnants of at least two temples are seen strewn all around the well complex. Some of the laterite stone blocks used in the stairway are from the earlier period, it is learnt.

The locals have known the place as the ‘Bhai Bohu Dedhasura Kuo’ and legends about the curative properties of the well water are abound. Dalijoda region was a part of Pancha Kataka of ancient times and was the gateway between Amravati and Choudwar in Cuttack.

The only damage that has been done is due to the thick vegetation that grew all around, which has since been cleared by Deo.

Mohanty said that Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) or the state archeology department should immediately conduct a proper survey and take measures for the protection of the place. It is a rich archaeological site and proper excavations will reveal many more aspects.

The well can be easily restored with little efforts.

Nayak, who is involved in INTACH’s project of “documentation of the monuments of the Mahanadi Valley”, says that this find too will be included in the listing as it has not been reported or documented till date.

Nayak has earlier made a dozen more unique discoveries in the lower and upper Mahanadi Valley.

Reiterating the need for proper listing and documentation of the monuments of the state, the INTACH team has emphasised that proper surveys should be conducted to list and record all ancient structures and proper guidelines issued for their protection and conservation. For this, involvement of local stakeholders is vital.

There are rampant thefts of idols and temple artifacts, with hardly any recoveries being made. A register of all the ancient archaeological artifacts should be made by a state constituted registry, which should be mandatory.

Many ancient idols are being sent out along with new sculpted pieces by exporters. The government should ensure that every container shipment is checked and cleared by experts.