Keri (Goa), February 14, 2013: Three Jain archaeological and heritage sculptures, lying in neglect at Bandora in Marcaim constituency, were shifted to the state museum in Panaji on Wednesday.
Sources said the move was in the wake of a telephonic intervention from the Dhavalikar brothers who are the local MLAs. Visiting Bandora, Mangesh Sardeshpande, senior officer, state archives and archaeology department, inspected the Jain bast and with members of two Jain groups, had an idol and two floral-patterned sculptures shifted.
Sardeshpande told that, “The mutilated Jain Tirthankar idol is a remnant of the rich Jain archaeological heritage and history associated with this site. There is an urgent need to conserve and protect the area from encroachments and inclement weather.” Suresh Munnoli of the Goa Jain Mahasabha said, “Though the Goa government has notified the Jain basti as a protected area, nothing concrete has been done to keep the site from encroachments.”
Varad Sabnis, an archaeologist who visited the site, said, “The Jain temple of Bandora is in ruins. It has been constructed out of laterite and lime mortar has been used as the binding material. A dome, arches and grilled windows of the temple are badly in need of systematic conservation efforts at the earliest.”
Members of the Bharat Varshiya Digambar Jain Heritage Preservation Mahasabha are “grateful to the Goa government for the permission given to shift the sculptures from Bandora to the state museum”. Chandrakant Bhoje Patil of the group said, “We have handed over the sculptures to museum director Radha Bhave and we are in the process of establishing a special gallery at the museum to exhibit Goa’s rich Jain heritage.” – News Courtesy: Times of India