The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is exploring the historical sites in the port town of Machilipatnam to declare the eligible sites as ‘protected monuments’ for conservation. A team comprising two Superintending Archaeologists, A.M.V. Subramanyam (Chennai circle) and Sriraman (Amaravati circle), has completed the field visit last week.
In the preliminary visit, the ASI found that the European tombs site at Bandarkota area is one as it houses numerous tombs that are more than a century old.
Until the 1864 cyclone which left more than 30,000 people dead in Machilipatnam, the site was known as St. John burial ground and since then as ‘The European tombs’ site belonging to the Dutch and the British.
It falls under the Machilipatnam municipality jurisdiction.
The ASI experts have expressed shock over the state of the site the entrance of which was being restricted by the locals.
It looks like a jungle and some of the tombs are in a dilapidated state. “We will consult the State government and the civic body for speeding up the process to declare it a protected monument,” Mr. Subramanyam told The Hindu .
Report soon
The ASI experts have said the State government should come forward to beautify the 1864 memorial in the Bandarkota village.
The team would prepare a report of protected monuments apart from helping the State government in the conservation of the other historical sites.
