Lakkundi’s ancient relics get a new lease of life as Tourism Minister and officials take up door-to-door visit to collect them for restoration

Lakkundi village in Gadag district celebrates heritage restoration initiative by donating historical relics for preservation.

Mangalavaadya and Dollu Kunita on the streets, residents dressed up to celebrate, houses and streets decorated... this was the ambience at Lakkundi village in Gadag district on Sunday, and the reason behind it was rather unusual.

The State Tourism Department, along with the Archaeology Museums and Heritage Department, has taken the initiative to restore the historical significance of Lakkundi and nominate it for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. For years, the rich archaeological treasures of Lakkundi have been neglected, with many being repurposed for daily use by villagers due to alleged indifference by the authorities concerned. To address this, Tourism Minister H.K. Patil, has not only issued a letter to residents of the village, highlighting Lakkundi’s archaeological heritage but also embarked on a door-to-door visit along with officials concerned to convince the residents to donate historical articles for conservation.

Beginning Sunday (November 24), the letter is being distributed to every household in the village, appealing to the residents to donate artefacts to the government to aid in preservation efforts. Several pallakis (palanquins) have been prepared to collect relics such as ancient statues, sculptures, carvings, pillars, inscriptions, and palm-leaf manuscripts, many of which have been lost over time. The letter emphasises the importance of safeguarding Lakkundi’s heritage, and awareness programmes will be conducted to educate villagers on the value of these artefacts.

According to the Tourism Department, a total of 1,050 historical relics were identified in the last three days. On Sunday, the Tourism Minister and others from the department went around the village collecting historical relics from at least five households and concluded the event with a procession of the relics on palanquins and tractors.

Mr. Patil told The Hindu that the initiative was started to throw light on the rich culture and history of Karnataka, and not just Lakkundi. “We have collected a few relics today that are from many centuries ago. They have been recognised by experts from the department. We will begin excavation to recover and restore the remaining relics soon. People of Lakkundi have come forward to donate the relics without any hesitation or expectations. We plan to recognise each of the residents who have contributed to the initiative, and the top three contributors under different categories will be awarded.” The Minister added that the relics would be stored in a safe space for now and soon be shifted to a museum or an open museum. Mr. Patil said that size of funds for the project are yet to be finalised.

It may be noted that Lakkundi village was a key town of economic importance in the 10th century itself with minting operations.