Most people are highly possessive of artefacts unearthed in their backyard, but residents of Machilipatnam’s Bandarkota area treasure something unusual: cannonballs. These solid metal shots from a past era of warfare have been turning up periodically in housing sites in the old parts of the town when they are excavated for construction.

Many households preserve the cannonballs, although a few simply dispose of them as scrap, unaware of their heritage value. “Unearthing old, used cannonballs is common in our area. I have one, and it is an echo of military history,” says local resident P. Hanumath Rao.

Machilipatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, houses an old armoury dating back to the Dutch era, which is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Famine and storm

Part of the structure collapsed in heavy rain in 2016. The fortunes of Bandarkota changed decisively after a storm in the 19th century. Tracing the history of the fort, the Manual of Kistna District by Gordon Mackenzie says: “The pestilence that followed on the famine of 1832-3 induced the authorities to station no more European troops at Bandar and the storm wave of 1864 caused the withdrawal of the last sepoy regiment and ended the history of Masulipatam as a military station.”

ASI monument assistant at the Dutch fort Subba Rao said his team had collected a cannonball from the local residents and put it on display.

A cannon was also kept on display at the entrance to the District Police grounds, after it was shifted from the railway station area.

“Until the 1960s, a cannon was operated by the local authorities without the use of cannonballs to avoid any untoward incident, producing just a deafening sound,” a local resident Mohammad Silar said.

Many families do not disclose their cannonball find, fearing that the ASI might recover them.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by T. Appala Naidu / Bandarkota – February 18th, 2019

The Kalingandhra Utsavam from February 8 to 14 is depicting history of Srikakulam in the form of replicas of temples and artefacts at the K.R. Stadium.

As many as 1.2 lakh people, including youngsters and schoolchildren, were enthralled by replicated inscriptions and rock edicts of the Kalingandhra history that goes as far as the 4th Century BC, said the festival in-charge and Sithampet Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer L. Shiva Sankar.

Srikakulam was part of the Kalinga dynasty, which was conquered by Mauryan king Ashoka in 261 B.C. Exhibits from the Salihundam and the Dantapuri heritage sites near Srikakulam shows the Buddhist influence on the region.

Other replicas include that of the Sri Kurmam temple, built in 7th Century A.D. by King Chola Ganga, and the Someswara Alayam, the Madhukeshwara Alayam and the Bhimeswara Alayam temples constructed between 7th and 9th centuries AD. The famous sun temple at Arasavalli, said to be built by Devendra Varma of the Kalinga dynasty in 7th Century A.D., is also on display, as is the Umarudra Koteswara temple of Srikakulam, constructed in 1774 and the Radhaswamy temple near Meliyaputti, constructed in 1810.

Religious tourism

“The State government is keen on promoting religious tourism in the district. That is why we have displayed replicas of the temples in the exhibition,” Mr. Sankar said.

According to him, the Mandasa fort, built in 1779, had been attracting a number of visitors.

From the modern era, a Dutch building, built on the banks of the Nagavali river in the 18th Century, is on display.

The exhibition features structures like the Nagavali Bridge, constructed in 1854, and the Srikakulam Municipal Office, which started functioning in 1856. A replica of the Dusi Railway, built in 1921, is also displayed.

A replica of the Gotta barrage, which irrigates more than 1 lakh acres and was built across the Vamsadhara river in 1979, has been attracting youngsters. History of personalities such as Kodi Ramamurthy, Garimella Satyanarayana, Adibhatla Kailasam, and Vempatapu China Satyam has been depicted.

“It is difficult to take history lessons for students. Moreover, local history is not part of our syllabus. Therefore, the festival has helped students know the history of Srikakulam, its culture and heritage,” said P.Srikanth, correspondent of the New Central School.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K. Srinivasa Rao / Srikakulam – February 14th, 2019