500 structures at Madhya Pradesh's 12th century site in ruins

500 structures at MP’s 12th century site in ruins

Bhopal: It was a site discovered in November 2011. But even after 15 months and numerous letters to officials, the remains of an astronomical study centre dating back to 1100 AD lie unprotected in Taragarh village of Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh.
    Girija Shankar Agrawal, the 80-year-old historian who claims he found the site, says it is older than the astronomical centres at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and Ujjain. Agarwal has written to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan as well as officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for appointing a caretaker, but there has been no response.
“More than 500 antique structures are lying there unprotected,” he says. “If they aren’t preserved, they will vanish. Already, locals are carrying away parts of the structure.”
    The astronomical centre was built by Karandeo, a ruler of the Baghel dynasty, who reigned from 1188-1203. Agarwal, a resident of Mandla, says he had come to know about some old temples in Taragarh. “But when my team and I reached there, we were shocked to find that the remains were of astronomical value. We found Shree Yantra, Surya Yantra and Misra Yantra, instruments used in olden times for astronomical studies, there,” Agarwal says. He went through some 400 handwritten manuscripts at Gondi Public Trust Library there to connect the missing links.
    Besides, he says, the location of Taragarh is important. It’s in the centre of India, thereby bringing more accuracy to astronomical predictions related to the entire country. According to historical data, he says, the centre is spread around one square kilometer and has a pond below it and stairs, the remains of which are still there. It is situated at 80°E longitude and 22.5°N latitude.
    “We have found references in abook, ‘Bharatiya Jyotish Ka Itihas’ (History of Indian Astronomy), about astronomical experts who visited Mandla between 1100 and 1500 AD such as Survay Kavi and Devaghya Vishnu. References to astronomical study at Taragarh has also been found in ‘Sumawali’, a handwritten book by Karandeo,” says Agarwal.

A 'Shree Yantra' found at Taragarh village in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh