Deities ‘Trapped’ for 105 Years Awaiting Public Viewing of Over 65 Statues and Shivlings
Uttarakhand: In the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand, in the tribal area of Jaunsar-Bawar, over 65 statues and Shivlings of deities discovered during excavations at the famous tourist spots of Hanol and Lakhamandal have been kept in storage by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the past 105 years. These statues, believed to date back to between the 5th and 12th centuries, are currently housed in a storage facility at Lakhamandal and Hanol.
Interestingly, an interpretation center built by the ASI about a year and a half ago to display these rare artifacts remains deserted, and no one has been allowed to see the statues. Local residents have been demanding for years that these treasures be made accessible to the public.
People are eagerly waiting for tourism development plans to take off at the Pandav-era Lakhamandal Shiv Temple, which is one of the 13 selected tourist destinations in the state. Meanwhile, preparations are underway to implement a pilgrimage development plan at the famous Mahasu Devta Temple in Hanol. The responsibility for preserving these two major tourist sites lies with the ASI’s Dehradun circle. The ASI took over the Mahasu Devta Temple in Hanol and the Shiv Temple in Lakhamandal in 1920. During the excavations at the Hanol temple complex, they uncovered around 30 statues and ancient relics of deities. Similarly, excavations at Lakhamandal revealed over 35 statues of deities, several Shivlings, and other ancient artifacts. These include statues of Lord Shiva, Shakti, Parvati, Ganesha, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Kuber, Surya, Durga, and Mahishasura Mardini, along with a five-faced Shivling and other historically significant relics, all of which are currently stored away by the ASI.
