PILIBHIT: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has deputed a team of experts, led by superintending archaeologist from Agra regional office Vasant Swarnkar, to visit Pilibhit’s Ilabas temple in Bisalpur tehsil to examine statues found there. The district administration is keen on developing the temple complex as an archaeological destination.After a preliminary survey in April, the ASI had concluded that these statues belonged to the 11th century BC, although senior officials in Delhi have expressed dissatisfaction about the survey. On a request by the district magistrate, the ASI has decided to conduct further research on the statues and other sculptures in the temple campus. The statues are made of sandstone and are of various Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon.The Ilabas temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is situated on the edge of Deuria forest range of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve at Mahamadpur Ilabas Dewal village panchayat. Locals say the temple is very old and no one knows when it was constructed or the statues carved out.According to panchayat pradhan Puttu Lal, it is believed that the temple was constructed by king Venu who ruled this region. “More than 60,000 to 70,000 devotees from across the state come to offer prayers at the temple every year during June and July. Besides devotees regularly throng the temple on every ‘amavasya’ day,” Puttu Lal said.The pradhan said the idols of gods and goddesses were found when two ponds were excavated at the village under a government scheme last year.Komil Prasad, a farmer, said he discovered a 1.5-foot high stone statue of a turtle depicting the ‘samudra manthan’ (churning of the ocean) from his field while he was ploughing it three months ago. He placed the statue in the temple.Assistant archaeologist of ASI’s Agra divisional office Mahendra Pal, who had conducted a preliminary survey of the temple, said the statues are of sandstone and were probably sculpted around 11th century BC.“One of the most venerated objects is an inscription on a stone wall in the garbh grah (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple. The script is reckoned to be an old form of Devnagri,” said Pal. He added that he had filed his report to the director of excavation and exploration at ASI, New Delhi.“I followed up the matter with ASI’s director for chemical preservation of all ancient statues, structural conservation of temple and building a museum on the temple campus which spans over 18 acres,” said district magistrate Akhilesh Kumar Mishra.Director of excavation and exploration division at ASI in New Delhi VN Prabhakar told TOI over the phone, “I am not fully satisfied with the way the preliminary survey of the temple was done. I am, therefore, sending the superintending archaeologist of ASI’s Agra division , Vasant Swarnkar, to ascertain the archaeological value of the idols, the inscription on the stone and other objects so that further steps for their conservation can be decided.”

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