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On occasion of world conservation day today people concerned here raised the demand of conservation and revival of  an oldest civilization, the glorious days of Champa, erstwhile capital of Anga Pradesh. Anga was prominently  placed among 16 mahajanpad in ancient India.

The history of Champa is unique since it has the existing dockyard which once was remained busy with mostly the departures of silk loaded ships. Besides, the archaeologists here recently found the fortified parts of ancient Champa below the earth at Champanagar localities in Bhagalpur. These are silent points raised today at local S M College during celebration of world heritage day here.

The college’s history department and students however have strengthen the need of protection and conservation of the site of Champa, The college which celebrated world heritage day today, demanded immediate conservation of ancient Champa   presently locating at some parts in Champanagar locality in Bhagalpur.

A power point presentation on Champa was done during the programme, Dr. Raman Sinha, senior teacher, faculty of history in the college claimed that the site has  archeologically significances and unique since the existence of the ancient dockyard is still present here.

Champa the capital of Anga ranked 4 th among the 16 oldest Mahajanapadas in the country, had its worldwide reputation for indigenous silk. It was also a famous trading center having its dockyard at the confluence of river Champa and Ganga here. Traders set out voyages from here for the world markets by big boats loaded with silk mainly, Sinha quoted the historical references of this place in his power point presentation.

The ruins tell the past.

While putting emphasis on conservation of the archaeological site of the erstwhile kingdom of Anga Pradesh, Sinha said that a  detail research work by state archaeological  department was concluded recently in order to explore  cultural materials properly as well as to reconstruct the history and archaeology of Champa with different scientific measures and survey in the locality.

The power point project was based Arabinda Singha Roy, archaeologist, under whose guidance the survey was conducted here by state archaeological department . It  also shown how the people concerned like Singha Roy has strengthened the immediate need of acquiring the parts of Champanagar areas and declaring it as protected land for excavation particularly at Karnagarh.

The dockyard at Champa still existing.

The power point project also shown how Singha Ray  and  his team worked hard to reveal at least the area of the ancient Champanagar. “After an extensive survey and based on the collected cultural remains the team prepared a map plotting the area of the mounds, ditches, mud walls, mud towers with the help of ARC-GIS,LANDSAT-IMAGES of ISRO and Geological Department of America, and DEMS. The team used GPS to traced the length and breath of the mounds, walls and ditches along with the harbor located at the confluence of the two rivers ,” Prof. Sinha revealed.

Giving references of different research works, Prof.  Sinha pointed out  several Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain literatures are mentioned about Champa where Buddha also spent three rainy seasons. “Based on the descriptions of the chines travelers, Cunningham identified this ancient town. After Independence many eminent archaeologists like B P Sinha conducted some excavation  to bring some light on it but after Sinha no once took care of it,” he said.

Guests are welcomed with Champa flower, a flower that still carrying the legacy of Champa.

Atul Verma, director, directorate of Archaeology, Bihar while contracted today, also admitted it as unique in its kind, as the recent survey conducted by his department has found the existence of a dockyard below the earth here. “We will soon send the detail reports to archaeological survey of India’s (ASI) headquarter at New Delhi for obtaining permission for excavation. We also started the formalities for protecting  the lands, mostly government lands at Champanagar, already demarked for excavation,” he pointed out.

Prof. Beherai Lal Choudhury , a teacher in the faculty of ancient history in Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University  who was present at the event, urged the state government to protect the place at Champanagar. “A Mahajanapada or city did not emerge within one days and within a particular area, also without support of the large hinter land that could not have been existed for a long time,” Prof. Choudhary pointed out. He said the district also have a Mahavihara ,i.e., Vikramsila ,one should have to think why the Mahavihara was established here, just only for a dream or there was already a pre-situation for the establishment of such a learning center.

Archaeological map of Champa.

Prof. Archan Thakur, principal of the college suggested that with all these certain things in our mind we should have planned for an extensive works throughout the district Bhagalpur. She claimed such steps will be helpful  to find out the precondition of the emergence of Anga Mahajanapada and establishment of Vikramsila Mahavihara as well as to analysis the catchment area of the institute and hinterland of the Mahajanapada. She also urged the state government for taking immediate notice on it for protecting the areas for saving the evidences of an ancient civilization here.

Evidences still there at Champa.

“Our government should protect the area immediately, it’s a unique heritage in the world,” said Jhuhi Kumari a student of the college. While other students in the college strengthen the need of mounting continuous pressures on the government so that the ancient site of civilization could be restored. “It’s very amazing that we have decided to do something for the sake of Champa on world heritage day today,” exclaimed Anita Kumari, another student in the college.