Bhadrak: Chhatrapada, a village in Bhadrak, is a treasure trove of artefacts and archaeological remains. The village is also known as Sahe Sibalinga Gan, means 100 Shiv Lingas, as these have been unearthed with local residents’ efforts. Some of the Lingas have been enshrined in small temples at some places while others are lying in the open. In fact, many more Shiv Lingas lie unprotected and scattered in the village. They are worshipped in different names of Lord Shiva.
There are also a lot of other archaeological remains like statues, shards of pottery, broken bricks, etc. An ancient anchor of a ship and a statue of Lord Buddha have been recovered from a pond. Stone blocks with inscriptions in Pali language have also been found.
Even the nearby village Narendrapur has some archaeological remains. There are several legends about the two villages. But nobody knows much about their past. To unravel the region’s mysterious past, locals want the archaeology department to conduct research and carry out excavations in the villages.
Considering the archaeological importance of the village, the state government had declared it a tourist spot in 2016. But, sadly, no development work has been taken up, say villagers. In the absence of publicity and development, the village still remains hidden from public view of outsiders.
Chhatrapada is 42 km from Bhadrak, via Chandbali road.
Usually, statues of bulls (Nandi) are found in front of Shiva temples, but statues of lions are found at Champkeswar and Kapileswar Mahadev temples in the village.
Experts and archaeologists find such symbolism of lions a deviation from traditional practice. They believe that all such archaeological remains belong to the 18th century, but there is no evidence to prove it.
At the entry point of the village, Maa Patana Mangala is worshipped in a temple, which is famous in the region for its
Janijatra, the festival for the Goddess, and it is organised in the month of Baisakh every year.
When devotees and tourists visit these places they find Shiv Lingas everywhere, in the open and unprotected. The Shiv Lingas are known as Baleswar, Champakeswar, Bateswar, Tadekeswar, Jameswar, Kapileswar, Rameswar, Aleswar, Badeswar, Bhuteswar and Trinath.
The Shiv Linga of Bhuteswar is 5.5 ft high and such Lingas are rarely found in Odisha. Sanatan Nayak had found this Linga while digging the backyard of his house. It is, therefore, named Badeswar.
Many experts assert that the village has a link with Buddhist culture. A huge pond sprawling over 12.41 acres is in Chhatrapada village, said Premananada Panda, an elderly person of the village.
Villagers demand more archaeological research in the village to unearth the hidden archaeological treasures of the area.
PNN