Post News Network
Baripada, Sept 1: Tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district assumes a place of pride in the history of Orissa because of its art, architecture, heritage and colourful ethnic life.
The district having several forts and ramparts, built during the last 300 years marking regimes of various kings, speak volumes of their glorious past. Regrettably, many of the monuments are lying in ruins for lack of conservation and protection.
A case in point is the Haripurgada fort, 20 km to the south-east of Baripada town. The place was the capital of the kings of Bhanja dynasty before Baripada was made the capital. Construction of the place, named after former royal Harihar Bhanja, was started in 1770. On three sides, the fort is surrounded by river Budhabalang flowing in a semi-circular way. In view of its geographical vantage, the king had set his capital there.
Kings in different parts of the state used to prefer hilly and remote places to set up their capitals, particularly in the wake of Mughal invasion in 1508.
It is believed that the royal palace was fortified by ramparts as high as 1091 ft in the east, 1102 ft in the west, 652 ft in the north and 686 ft in the south.
The queen’s room was to the south-west corner of the palace with facilities of water tank and bathing tubs. The architecture implies the engineering skills of the then masons and architects. To the south is Rasikray temple, which is unique for its brick structure. It is said to be the first temple in Orissa, built out of bricks. Various beautiful patterns and designs are found in the bricks. The temple has been standing the vagaries of nature over the years.
Laxminarayan temple and Telugu gate are two other monuments inside the fort. The middle portion of the fort was a courtyard while the durbar hall was in the north.
However, over the years, the ramparts began crumbling down and now the fort’s vestiges are found in the area. Historians have excavated the ruins while a bathroom of the queen was dug out by the Archaeological Survey of India. Locals have demanded that steps be taken for proper conservation of the place.