GAIBANDHA, Feb 8: Ancient and medieval archaeological artefacts have been found after digging a mound of earth of King Virat (Raja Birat) in Kamdia area at Razahar Union in Gobindaganj Upazila of the district very recently.
This was disclosed by Dr Nahid Sultana, regional director of Rajshai and Rangpur Division of Department of Archaeology while talking with locals and media men.
She said, the archaeological sites are located 16 kilometre away of the upazila headquarters at Rajahar Union. The excavation revealed a large scale infrastructure, she added.
Till now fragments of terracotta, terracotta slabs, decorated bricks (usually used in the decoration of religious shrines), foundation stone pillars have been found, bearing testimony of antiquity, she said.
She further said, "It is not possible to say correctly about the king, who lived here if the large-scale excavation work is not completed."
Locals said, there was a local researcher Khanja MA Qayyum who studied the mound of Virat Raja for 40 years. According to his note books, Raja Virat was known as Matsya Raja throughout India. He dag 999 ponds for fish cultivation in this area.
Rakhal Raj Bandyopadhyay in a report in 1925-26 mentioned, even around 1905 the place was surrounded by forest. A few years back, the Santals cleared the place, built houses and started living there.
Nahid Sultana mentioned, the archaeological site has already been damaged a lot.
An excavation in large-scale will be undertaken to preserve the site and also open it up to visitors with an accurate history, she maintained.
On Wednesday, Indian Deputy High Commissioner of Rajshahi office Manoz Kumar inspected the site and talked with those engaged in excavating the mound of earth.
Officials concerned briefed him about the archaeological artefacts found so far.
The deputy high commissioner heard them attentively and urged the officials to do the excavation work carefully to get more archaeological artefacts from the site.
Assistant Deputy High Commissioner Tapon Chandra Roy, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Russel Miah, and Regional Director of the Archaeological Department Dr Nahida Sultana accompanied him during his inspection.
