The letter, signed by about 30 experts, said that ancient sites in the city, including the famous Mauryan
site at Agamkuan and Jain temple, Kamaldah near Gulzarbagh railway station in Patna City, are in a bad shape. The proposed world class museum has been planned in Bailey Road. It will be spread over an area of 14 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore.
The open letterrecalled that the government had initiated construction of a link road from
Agamkuan and Kamaldah temples on NH-30 in 2006-07, but the work was left midway.
In the same way the rural roads construction department of Bihar had started the construction work in 2009 of the boundary wall of Kamaldah temple complex, which is spread over 5.6 acres. But, again, it was abandoned midway. The area surrounding the Jain Temple has been encroached by local
vendors.The letter said: “In the name of making another museum in the city, development of some historical sites should not be neglected. These sites are equally important.”

Prominent among those who signed the letter are Shatrughan Prasad Singh, former HoD, Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Patna University; Rajendra Ram, former professor, department of History, Patna
University; Bodhan Prasad Singh, former principal, G D College, Begusarai; Bakshi Vidyanand Sinha, former president of Patna University Teachers Association; Ashok Kumar, postdoctoral fellow, department of History, Patna University; Anil Kumar, Vishwa Bharti University, Shantiniketan (West Bengal); Surendra Snigdh,department of Hindi, Patna University; Bhagwan Prasad Singh, former HoD,
department of Economics, Patna University; Firoz Alam, research scholar, Patna University; and Shanta Kumari, research scholar, Patna University.It needs to be recalled that several MLAs and MLCs of Bihar––Samrat Chaudhary of RJD most prominent among them––too have asked the state government not to build new bungalows and quarters for them as well as new Assembly and Legislative Council buildings
as this would amount to waste of hundreds of crores of public money. They said that these structures were built after the MPs quarters in New Delhi and need
not be brought down. Instead money should be spent on building houses for poor.

Comment

comments...

I would like to thank you personally for giving space to this news. Actually the way historical monuments are being handled are matter of great concern.
Our CM is briefed by bureaucrats who does not have expertise in archaeology. This is a purely technical subject. In the state where the post of Director for Archaeology  is vacant since 1990 and there is no concern about that. There are hundreds of sites where antiquities are every day destroyed by encroaches. Theft of valuable sculptures are very common, lots of significant sculptures from Bihar are kept in various museums of India and abroad, but again no concern from the agencies. The attitude of CM saheb is at least not academic.
If there is anyone who cares about the heritage of Bihar will first protect the monuments, will try to create infrastructure to  develop the sites and create pressure on ASI and other agencies for proper exploration and excavation of fresh sites of the state. Yesterday only I was asked to participate in a seminar on Heritage of Bihar by a govt. agency and they suggested me not to be very academic in the so called seminars, because that will be attended by bureaucrats. I failed to understand the very purpose of the seminar and the mission of my respected CM.
I really don't understand that why CM saheb is making it a prestige issue, as we all know there are plenty of space inside the existing museum where galleries can be built if required. If I am not wrong, I think he (the Raja) wants to demolish all the old institution and built new so his name becomes immortal. Stupa at Patna Railway station is the best example for my hypothesis, where as hundreds of ancient stupas are waiting for at least protection by the state. . There are other examples also, i.e. demolish old universities of Bihar and go for so called International one, ignore Navanalanda Mahavihar, because it was built when Raja has not taken birth.  He actually obsessed with the word "Change", he thinks everything in past was built by fools.
Sir, with due respect I would like to request you to kindly consider my views for the sake of Heritage of Bihar. I have no personal vendetta or any greed.
Dr. Anil Kumar
Department of AIHC&A
Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. (WB). India.