Iron Age stone circles surveyed in Tirora, demand to declare site protected

Ancient Iron Age sites have been found at Satona, Borgaon and Wadegaon in Tirora taluka of Gondia district. Office-bearers of the Itihas Abhyas Sanshodhan Mandal, Gondia, visited the sites and inspected them. The Mandal has strongly demanded from the Archaeology Department in Nagpur that the historically significant stone circles there be preserved and conserved, and that the site be declared a "protected historical site".

The survey found as many as 70 stone circles (megaliths) in revenue survey numbers 32 and 31/679 in the Satona-Borgaon area. The circles at Borgaon, Wadegaon and Satona are said to range in size from about 150 centimetres to 1,700 centimetres. Double concentric circles made of laterite stones can be seen here. The sites are considered extremely important for the study of ancient history and archaeological research.

Present at the inspection were the Mandal's chief coordinator Anil Deshmukh, vice-president Yogesh Pardhi, Tirora-based Mandal member Chandrakumar Patle, principal and journalist D. R. Giripunje, U. T. Pardhi and Satona police patil G. D. Hatwar.

The inspection found construction by the Forest Department under way at the site. Serious concern is being expressed over the preservation of this priceless heritage, as construction began before the sites were properly surveyed, assessed archaeologically and protected.

The Mandal recently held a meeting in Gondia. The issue of protecting such sites was raised in a discussion held in the chamber of the Assistant Commissioner of the Archaeology Department and the Additional Collector. Mandal office-bearers cited a letter of 10 September 1982 from the Maharashtra government's Education and Service Schemes Department, under which a no-objection certificate (NOC) or prior permission from the Archaeology Department is mandatory before construction on such ancient sites. They alleged that the Forest Department is nonetheless building without any prior permission. There is an expectation that the administration will urgently inquire whether the necessary permissions were obtained, given the archaeological importance of the site.

The office-bearers said similar historical sites have also been found at Malhi, Gangla and Silli. It was also said that the Archaeology Department had earlier carried out excavation in parts of Malhi. A combined study of all these sites is highly likely to shed considerable light on the ancient history of Gondia district, the human settlement of the time, and burial rites or other cultural traditions of that period. However, in-depth archaeological research by experts is now urgently needed to determine the exact periods and nature of the sites scientifically.

The stone circles in the Satona-Borgaon-Wadegaon area could prove to be the backbone of the district's ancient and rich cultural heritage. A firm demand has therefore been made for a scientific survey, detailed documentation and the measures needed for future research. The Archaeology Department in Nagpur has been urged to declare the area a "protected historical site", protect the ancient remains immediately, and take every precaution under the rules until the site's historical significance is clarified. History enthusiasts and researchers have expressed a strong expectation that the district administration will step in on time and protect the sites.