Orissa Review * May - 2005

Barabati Fort : The Mute Witness to Orissan Glory

Dr. C. B. Patel

o Barabati fort is situated at Lat.20 19’N and Eastern Orissa, Nrupakesari was known to o Long.85 52’E in between the two rivers have built a second capital city at . and Kathajuri at a distance of 25kms Systematic exploration, excavation and from the state capital , Traditional research will definitely throw more light about history attributes the founding of this city to the antiquity of this ancient township. Somavansi king Nrupakesari. The Madalapanji The fort is square in plan. It spreads over indicates that the fort was built in the year 989 an area of 102 acres and surrounded on all A.D. However many scholars like late Prof. sides with stone paved moat of 10 Mtr. wide P.Mukharjee believes that Ganga king in northern and western sides and 20 Mtr. wide Anangabhimadeva III founded the city of in the eastern and southern sides. The entire Cuttack. He ruled from 1211 to 1238 A.D. fort wall except the entrance is missing. Since, According to a local legend, when the king was 1915, in view of its national importance, the going to worship Visvesvara Siva at Barabati place has been declared as a protected site by village, he witnessed an unusual incident of a Archaeological Survey of India. heron killing a hawk. He was impressed with this incident and the strategic location of the At the centre of the fort we notice a high site and decided to shift his capital from mound with a tank in the western side. It Chudangagada (Chaudwar, Cuttack) to spreads over 15/16 acres of area. Now the Barabati village and named the city as Abhinava site is extensively encroached. To the east of Varanasi Cuttack. His Nagari copper plate the mound, there is the Shahi mosque while in grant was issued from this place in the year the west of the tank lies the mazar of Hazrat 1230 A.D. Recent discovery of various types Ali Bukhari. In 1989 excavations were carried of pottery in and around Cuttack points to an out by Archaeological Survey of India to anterior existence of Cuttack and its antiquity. ascertain the cultural horizon of the historic fort During the rule of the Bhaumakaras, the place and the work is still in progress. was known to have existed. Various sculptural The first Muslim invasion of Barabati by and archaeological remains explored in its Ghiyasuddin Iwaz Shah, Sultan of took vicinity testify to this contention. The Bhauma place during the reign of Anangabhima Deva Kingdom was occupied by the Somavansis III. The Muslim forces occupied the frontier later on to consolidate their Kingdom in the outpost of Lakhnor in Birbhumi. After that a

70 Orissa Review * May - 2005 large troop under the command of his brother- is believed that Mukunda Deva built a nine- in-law Paramardideva attacked Lakhnaor, storeyed building here. The fort has witnessed capital of Muslim Bengal. The Orissan army many celebrities. Raja Kalyanmal, son of Raja secured a great success with the sacrifice of Todarmal was governor here. Prince Khuram, Paramardideva who fell in the battle field. His the rebel son of Jahangir visited the fort . In wife Chandrika Devi, in his memory built the 1633 English merchants Bruton and Cartwright Anantavasudeva temple at Bhubaneswar. met prince Suja’s Deputy governor Aga In the 14th century A.D. Illyas Shah of Mohammed Zamere. When Lalbag was Bengal invaded North Orissa. Later on Sultan constructed, the Muslim governors left Barabati Firuz Shah Tughluq invaded Orissa and and the fort remained neglected since then. It occupied Barabati fort in 1361. He went back was finally demolished by the last quarter of to Delhi with rich booty. Narasingha Deva IV the 19th century. was known to have issued two copper plates The excavations of Archaeological from this Varanasi Cuttack. In 1421, during the Survey of India at Barabati have yielded several rule of Bhanudeva IV Sultan Hushang Ghori of antiquities, which include Seven iron arrow Malwa visited Cuttack in the guise of a heads, one iron cannon ball, about four hundred merchant and overwhelmed the King. King broken architectural pieces, sculptures of erotic Kapilendradeva overran the King and couple, musicians, female figures, heads of established the Surjyavamsi rule. His son figures with ornaments and hair styles, images Purusottamadeva brought the image of Lord of Ganesha and Surya. A silver coin of Gopal from Andhra and enshrined that in Shahjahan (1627-1658) minted at Surat factory Barabati fort. The great saint Chaitanyadeva has also been found. Chinese procelain of was known to have visited the temple of Lord medieval period, lead bullets and pieces of glass Gopal. Prataprudradeva has described the goblets have been recovered in course of the Barabati fort as Bhukantakatakam excavation. Katakanagarim i.e. girdle of the earth Of the structures, the excavated ruins of goddess. a temple deserve special mention. It is believed In 1568 Kalapahad attacked the fort that it was the temple of then called which became the undisputed seat of the Purusottama to have been built by Afgans thereafter. Daud, son of Suleman Karani Anangabhima Deva III (1211-1238) the was defeated by Muni Khan, the general of builder of the fort. This temple was known to Akbar in 1575. Doud Karani surrendered to have been destroyed by Firoz Tughlaq during Mughal forces in this glorious Barabati fort. his invasion in 1361. The excavations have also To suppress Afghan uprisings, Akbar yielded the grand pillars of the palace. Recently, sent Mansingh in 1592. He stayed here and the skeleton of a royal elephant has been suppressed the Afghan uprisings. In the Ain-i - excavated at the site. Akbari, we find graphic account of the fort The oldest structure discovered in course which states that the city of Cuttack has a of the excavation in the Barabati fort is the strong fort, which is the residence of the portion of a temple with 3 mouldings at the base governor and contains some fine buildings. It level on the foundation of laterite blocks. The

71 Orissa Review * May - 2005 temple stood on sandy soil deposit where no to Raja Mukunda Deva, who ruled from 1560 habitational deposits were traced. However the to1568 A.D. excavator of the site Dr. Sinha has reported Abul Fazal in Ain-i-Akbari refers to nine about the find of some pottery specimens Ashiana palaces built by Mukunda Deva who datable to 13th century A.D. Nowhere ruled for eight years only and therefore he seems structure, earlier than the temple was found to have not shifted and expanded earlier palace which indicates that the temple structure within complex. It was also known that governor of the Barabati fort was the oldest one. The Sultan Karani of Bengal occupied Cuttack in sculptural fragments recovered from the site has 1569. As the palace was deserted, it started close semblance with the proto type of fabulous crumbling and ultimately reduced into a hip of Konark sculptures. The excavation further ruins. The whole area of the fort thus became indicated that the structure was fully destroyed a big mound of sand and debris with flat top as the building in question was covered with and over this in the south-west corner a plat debris and some pillar ruins of later period. A form was made with khondolite blocks probably small lime plastered deposit noticed in the upper brought from the ruined temple. We find layer may be the part of a later date floor. The evidence of stone pavement and lime plastered inscription of Anangabhima Deva referring to floor around the structure and from the deposit a temple of Jagannath which was also known over the pavement in the eastern side, as Purusottama, speaks that it is a Ganga wherefrom a coin of Sahajahan has been monument. This contention is strengthened by recovered. the reference in Tarikh-i-Firoz Shah by Afif in which the demolition of the Jagannath temple In 1803 the Britishers occupied Cuttack during Firoz Shah’s occupation of Cuttack took when extensive stone robbing took place to place and he was known to have taken the idol build the Cantonment Road. William Brutton of Purusottama to Delhi. All these evidences came to Cuttack in 1633 during the rule of the indicate that Anangabhima Deva III built this Mughals. He has narrated about a big square temple during 1211-1238 A.D. slope and bastion of stone which has been seen by Thomas Motte in 1786 and attested The pillar ruins found in the eastern by Sterling in 1880 A.D. corridor resting above the temple and laterite floor indicate that the palace was built when The Archaeological Survey of India has the temple was destroyed. A time span of 100- partially excavated the site and it is hoped that 200 years might have taken place between the on completion of excavations, a complete destruction of the temple and construction of history of Barabati fort will be known which the pillared palace complex. Thirty two pillars would throw further light on the glorious have been noticed during excavation belonging Barabati fort of Orissa. to two building phases. There is no change in the plan of the palace building during the second phase. Some evidences of repair works have Dr. C.B. Patel is the Superintendent of Orissa State been noticed. This construction was attributed Museum, Bhubaneswar.

72