Stepwell in Lakkundi village of Gadag district. It is one of the attractions in the village. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Excavations that began on January 16 on the premises of the Kote Veerabhadreshwar temple in Lakkundi village of Gadag district have yielded relics dating back to the Neolithic period, boosting the bid for a UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination.
The yield of Neolithic monuments approached the “treasure” found by a family in the village while digging the foundations of a house.
Hundreds of wells and temples
The excavations here – about 12 kilometers from the district headquarters of Gadag and once known as the “village of hundreds of wells and temples” – are part of an ongoing effort to restore Lakkundi’s historical significance. Several architectural marvels are believed to still remain covered by houses and other structures or buried underground in the village.
A view of the excavation site near the kote veerabhadreswhar temple in Lakkundi village of gadag district where the excavation began on January 16. Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Formerly known as Lokkigundi, the village finds mention in inscriptions dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. In these inscriptions the place is likened to Amaravati, the capital of Indra, in terms of prosperity. Lakkundi was also known for its “tankashale” (mint). Lakkundi was ruled by Chalukya, Yadava and Hoysala kings and was the capital of the Hoysala king Eradane Ballala (Veeraballala) in 1192 AD.
Lakkundi was the “Karmabhoomi” of Queen Attimabbe, an ardent follower of Jainism known for her philanthropic works. The queen who lived in the 11th century is said to have built many temples and Jain basadis and also sunk wells for the benefit of the people. The State Government conferred the award on her behalf (Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Prashasti).
While Jainism flourished in Lakkundi, it also sheltered 12th century sharanams like Shivasharana Ajaganna and Sharane Muktayakka who spread Basaveshwar’s message.
Several of Lakkundi’s architectural marvels no longer exist and the Bombay Gazetteer mentions only 13 temples namely Kashi Visveshwara, Mallikarjun, Halagunda Basavanna, Viurpaksha, Laxmianarayana, Manikeshwara, Virabhadara, Nanneshwara, Someshwara, Naidadeshwara, Neelamadeshwara, Nagaradeva Temple and Vishwantha with Kalyana Chalukyas architectural style. Even the wells at Lakkundi are famous for their carvings.
A long awaited project
Uncovering the buried temple structures and wells is a long pending project and was revived at the initiative of HK Patil, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs as well as Tourism.
As a prelude to the excavation, the Karnataka State Tourism Department Corporation (KSTDC) along with the Department of Archeology Museums and Heritage launched an initiative in November 2024 to collect historical relics from households in the village. As part of this, 1,050 historical monuments were received from residents and 13 inscriptions were identified. Several of them now find a place in the open air museum at Lakkundi, to set up which the residents joined hands with the Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority by parting with their land.
WITH INTACH
The tourism department is also pushing for a proposal to include a group of monuments in Lakkundi, along with temples from nearby places, on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is in line with the budget announcement for the UNESCO label for Lakkundi. The state has tied up with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to fine-tune the design.
“So far, two meetings have been held in this regard and they (INTACH) are in the process of finalizing the proposal,” Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority Commissioner Sharanu Gogeri told The Hindu.
There are seven ASI protected monuments in Lakkundi and the state has declared 16 temple structures in the village as protected monuments and plans to add eight more to the list by the end of the month. The authority has been directed to conduct a comprehensive study and submit a report on listing 20 more temples and other structures, which is likely to happen in February.
Moving the village?
There is also a proposal to relocate the village to facilitate the restoration of ancient monuments, but any decision to relocate will be based on the outcome of excavations and other surveys of ancient structures that will be carried out at the same time.+
Published – 24 Jan 2026 20:13 IST
