Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said that the course of the Kosi river will be diverted to protect an area in the state’s Bhagalpur district, which could be a 2,500-year-old archaeological site.
Mr. Kumar visited Guwaridih village in Bihpur block, from where ancient terracotta objects such as utensils and ornaments, various tools, triangular bricks, copper coins, and fossils were recovered from beneath the earth.
Those items could be remains of the Kushan, Maurya and the Gupta era.
Bihar Heritage Development Society’s Executive Director Dr Vijay Kumar Choudhary gave details of the items displayed there to the Chief Minister.
“It is really an ancient and historical place. The remains recovered could be more than 2,500 years old. Everyone should know about the place,” an official release quoted the Chief Minister as saying.
It is important to divert the Kosi river to its old course in order to protect the area and the objects which are still below the earth’s surface from flood and erosion, Kumar said adding that it will be done after proper planning.
The river is currently flowing around 300-400 metres from the site, while its old course is about two kilometres from the village.
“Legislator Shailendra jee (Kumar Shailendra, the MLA from Bihpur) had informed me about the recovery of ancient items which have historical importance. Even a team of experts, in its preliminary report, have confirmed the place to be a historical one,” Mr. Kumar told reporters.
If it is confirmed after proper excavation that the site is really of archaeological importance, it will be developed so that people of the country and the world are able to know about it, he said.
Mr. Kumar Shailendra and a host of officials and historians accompanied the chief minister during his visit to Guwaridih, around 260 kilometres from Patna.
