Historians and archaeologists have finally had their way in their effort to protect the ‘ash mound’ — an important proof of the Neolithic period located on National Highway 63, between Torangal and Kuditini, in Ballari district — from a road project.
Responding to the concerns of historians, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Gammon India, which is executing the four-laning of NH 63, have decided to realign the road to protect the archaeological site. They have also decided to fence the site, raise a garden and provide all facilities to make it a tourist attraction. “We have come out with a new design to realign the road to protect the site and it has been approved by the NHAI. We have also started the work as per the new design,” said S.G. Sanjeev, deputy general manager, Gammon India.
The ash mound, known as ‘Budi dibba,’ according to archaeologist Ravi Korishettar, is the largest among 300 sites known from the districts of Ballari, Chitradurga, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Bidar in Karnataka, and Mahbubnagar, Anantapur, and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. Protection of such sites is of paramount importance as archaeologists from across the globe hope to visit the mound, especially those engaged in unravelling the agricultural way of life in India in that period.
“The site, which was found in the 1840s by Captain Newbold and Colin Mackenzie (the first Surveyor-General of British India), is one of the most important in southern India, and represents the pastoral community settlements of 5,000 years ago. It is associated with the neolithic period when hunter-gatherers became agriculturists and is the centre of a series of ash mounds located in the district,” said Mr. Korishettar.
A year and a half ago, experts expressed concern over the threat to the Neolithic site with the four-laning of NH 63. As per the original design, the road was to pass through the ash mound.
Mr. Korishettar and Santosh Martin, a naturalist, thanked the NHAI and Gammon India and also Deputy Commissioner Ramprasath Manohar and former Superintendent of Police R. Chetan for their effort to protect the site.
