Buxar fort up for new lease of life
PRESERVING HISTORY The proposed plan includes measures to check soil erosion by the river Ganga around the fort and also to develop the area as a major tourist attraction
BUXAR: The district administration of Buxar has finalised a renovation and beautification plan for a medieval fort on the bank of the Ganga.
The plan will soon be submitted to the department of art and culture for vetting and sanction of funds, Vinod Singh Gunjial, district magistrate, said. He said, the proposed plan also includes measures to check soil erosion. The place will be developed as a major tourist attraction, he added.
The fort, believed to have been built by the then king, Rudradeo, in the year 1054 AD, has remained a neglected site for decades. Soil erosion around the fort has become a major concern with rise in the Ganga level. It has also been taken over by overgrown vines and brambles making it extremely unapproachable. The exteriors have been defaced too.
Manju Devi of Buxar said,“Last year the flood control department had taken steps to protect the fort from soil erosion bolstering the protective layers with brick soling. It did not prove effective.”
Bunty Ojha of nearby Nimej village said that, “Several historical statues, coins and other articles were excavated from here, which have been placed in a museum built adjacent to the fort.”
People say, diggings in the fort complex have also yielded utensils of terracota, several broken statues of Mauryan and Kushan eras as also coins of gold and silver of the Muslim period. While most such recoveries found a place in the museum, the fort itself stands utterly neglected.
Nigam Ojha of Kharha Tanr said, “The place has historical value but is losing its importance due to neglect”.
People like Sultan Khan of Brahmpur believe, “If efforts are taken for conservation, it could turn into a major tourist attraction.”
DIGGINGS IN THE FORT COMPLEX HAVE YIELDED UTENSILS OF TERRACOTA, BROKEN STATUES OF MAURYAN AND KUSHAN ERA AS ALSO GOLD AND SILVER COINS OF MUSLIM PERIOD. WHILE MOST RECOVERIES FOUND PLACE IN THE MUSEUM, THE FORT ITSELF STANDS NEGLECTED