Dharmendra urges for preservation of Swapneswar Mahadev temple in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy for the preservation of recently excavated 6th-7th Century CE Swapneswar Mahadev Temple in Odisha’s Puri district.

 “Keeping in the immense historical, spiritual and socio-cultural importance of Swapneswar Mahadev temple and heritage monuments in Ratnachira valley, I seek your personal intervention in directing Archeological Survey of India to undertake all possible measures for preservation of this ancient temple and documentation and conservation of other heritage monuments in Ratnachira Valley,” said Pradhan in a letter to Reddy.  

The ruins of the ancient temple that may date back to the 6th-7th century have been discovered by a survey team of the Odisha chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in Puri district.

It could be one of the earliest temples of the post-Gupta period.

The team found the structure while conducting a detailed survey of the Ratnachira valley and its monuments.

“The above mentioned temple is locally revered as Swapneswar Mahadev and dedicated to Lord Shiva. Estimated to be 1,300-1,400 years old, this temple is one of the best-preserved examples of early Kalingan architecture in the region. However, I am distressed to learn that the temple’s structure is in a precarious state and in need of immediate preservation measures,” said Pradhan.