POLAVARAM PROJECT

Government has accorded sanction of the scheme "Survey and exploration of archaeological sites" coming under the submergence area of Polavaram Project. Under this scheme, the staff has surveyed so far 355 villages on the left and right banks of the river Godavari and the river Sabari in impregnable forest with formidable weather conditions.

Works undertaken: Thorough explorations have been taken up in the project area and so far 355 villages have been surveyed. Out of these, 64 sites have been pin-pointed for conducting minor excavations. 240 loose sculptures, 17 inscriptional slab and 5 ancient temples are identified for shifting to a safer place to save them from the treasure hunters. Besides, remains of 6 forts are also noticed.

Minor excavations: So far 5 villages viz. Rudramakota, Tutigunta and Paidipaka on the right bank, Gollagudem and Gundala on the left bank have been excavated on minor scale. Among these sites, Rudrama Kota, Gollagudem and Tutigunta are the temple sites of Medieval period. Brick temple remains are exposed. Antiquarian remains such as beads, bangle pieces etc. were scarcely collected. Gundala and Paidipaka are the Medieval period habitational sites and collected antiquarian remains such as beads, bangle pieces, coins, pot sherds of different kinds and shapes, bone pieces etc.

SRISAILAM PROJECT

Salvage of archaeological operations under Srisailam Hydro Electric Project

Due to the construction of Srisailam Hydro Electric Project at Srisailam across river Krishna nearly 102 villages in both Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar Districts located all along the banks of the rivers Krishna, Tungabhadra, Bhavanasi and their tributaries were submerged. According to policy decision of Government of India to salvage the archaeological sites and antiquarian remains Government of Andhra Pradesh, Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad circle, and Nagarjuna University had collectively conducted explorations. Consequently several stone age sites of lower, middle and upper Palaeolithic assemblages have been identified at Sherpally, Sasanur, Karapakala, Pottur, Singavaram, Uppalapadu Kudavalli, Budidapadu, Yaparla, Vellatur, Pragatur and Somasila in the district of Mahaboobnagar and at Veerapuram village, Vemulapadu in Kurnool district. A few sites of neolithic and chalcolithic phase are identified at Pragatur, Chinnamarur and Veerapuram. Several hundreds of megalithic (iron age) sites are noticed at Peddamarur, Chinnamarur, Uppalapadu, Gondimalla, Chagatur, Solipuram in addition to a few megalithic habitation sites are also explored and excavated at Peddamarur, Chinnamarur and Pinnapuram near Kyatur.

A few villages have been explored which revealed the early historical cultural milieu (3rd C.B.C. to 4th C.A.D.). Sites at Veerapuram, Satanikota, Kyatur, Chabolu, Gummadam, Kudalisangameswaram, Siddeswaram, Yellala and Rangapuram represent Satavahana habitations. Excavations conducted at the sites at Chabolu, Rangapuram, Siddeswaram, KudalaSangameswaram in Mahaboobnagar District and Veerapuram in Kurnool district laid bare a few structural remains of Saivaite brick temple datable to 1st-2nd CAD, associated with few Satavahana coins. At Satanikota and Veerapuram, fortifications datable to Satavahana and Ikshvaku periods are also brought to light.

A) Prehistoric sites

• Early Stone age: Artefacts pertaining to the early stone age namely Bifacial pebble tools, quartzite scrapers are noticed at Budidapadu, Satanikota, and Siddharajalingapuram. Hand axes and cleavers are collected from Satanikota.

• Middle stone age: Blades on plaques of quartzite as per chart are found at Garapakala, Uppalapadu, Kudavalli, Budidapadu, Manchala katta, Somasila and Satanikota.

• Late stone age: Non geometrical monolithic blades fluted cores and weste flakes on chert chalcedone and jasper are collected from Pragatur, Sheripalli and Satanikota.

• Neolithic age: A good number of Neolithic sites which yielded ground and polished stone tools on Deccan trap hand made pottery in red and grey ware are noticed at Kudavalli, Budidapadu, Gummadam, Vellatur and Malleswaram, besides stone axes, hammers, mace heads and pounders made on trap were also recovered.

• Megalithic remains: Cairn circles and multi chambered cist burials are excavated at Satanikota, Chellapadu, Uppalapadu, Serupalli, Chinnamarur, Peddamarur, Paidigutta and Kudavalli. Cultural material, such as iron implements, beads, pottery of different types and shapes, bone pieces are also reported from these burial sites. Verv interesting remains of circular hutments of megalithic period are noticed at Chinnamarur and Serupalli. A unique attempt of making a big burial cutting in the live rock is another interesting feature at Uppalapadu.

• Early Historical Sites: More number of early historical sites range between 3 CBC and 4 CAD are also identified from the submersible area. To name a few sites, located at Yapaladevipadu, Chagatur, Kudavalli, Satanikota, Yallala, Garapakala, Peddamarur, Siddeswaram, Chabole, Siddarajalingapuram, Kyatur, Gummadam and Veerapuram etc. The results of the excavation conducted at these sites include early historical Saivite brick temples, and ruined brick fortifications, brick and stone foundations of houses, varieties of black and red ware, red ware, and polished redware. Potsherds, beads of terracotta and semi precious including steatite have also been unearthed. A few potin coins of Satavahana, Maharathi, lkshwaku and Vishnukundin dynasties are also noticed at sites like Satanikota, Verapuram Kudalisangameswaram. A unique brahmi label inscription dated 1st CBC is also recorded from Chabolu in Kurnool district.

B)Transplantation of temples

A few clusters of stone temples built by the Western Chalukyan, Rastrakuta, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiya and Vijayanagara rulers which exhibit different architectural styles have been selected from both Mahaboobnagar and Kurnool districts for transplantation. The outstanding examples are from Kudalisangameswaram, Bavanasisangameswaram and Papanasi group of temples. The outstanding examples from Kudalisangameswaram, Bavanasisangameswaram and Papanasi group of temples. The temples at Somasila, Pratakota, Manchalakotta, Malleswaram and Jetaprolu were physically dismantled piece by piece after thorough documentation and shifted to higher contour then F.R.L and reconstructed safely

• Collection of loose sculptures: Hundreds of historical sculptures ranging in date between 4th and 17th C.A.D which were left uncared for centuries have been collected from the submersible villages are shifted to places like Alampur, Kurnool and Hyderabad in order to house them in Museums.
   

• Collection of historical epigraphs: Equal number of stone inscriptions available at the temple sites belonging to Western Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Kalyani Chalukya Kanduri Chola, Kakatiya and Vijayanagara period have been identified, taken estampages and copied. Most of these inscriptional slabs have been shifted to Alampur, Kurnool, Pillalamarri and Hyderabad Museums for their safe custody and display.
   

• Scale moulding of temples: Apart from the temples selected for transplantation, the other temples left as it is in the villages which also represent various schools of architecture have been selected for preparing temple models to scale. Nearly 47 temple models have been prepared and these are now on display in the Srisailam Pavilion of the Commissionerate of Archaeology and Museums, Hyderabad.
   

• Construction of Museums: To house antiquarian remains collected from submersible area a few Museums have also been constructed at Hyderabad, Kurnool and Somasila.