Keri: Every summer, as the water level in the Anjunem reservoir drops, the remains of temples from the submerged village of Gulle emerge again, revealing fragments of the area’s history. Heritage enthusiasts are pressing the government to take swift steps to safeguard and conserve these structures while they are exposed.
Background of Submergence
The Anjunem Irrigation Project, completed around three decades ago, led to the submergence of Anjunem, Ponsuli, Kelawade, and Gulle. Ahead of relocation, villagers moved several stone sculptures to newly constructed temples within rehabilitation colonies. Yet, the original temple buildings could not be taken apart and still reappear each year.
Local Insights
Krishna Gawas, an assistant teacher from Gulle, said the village had long been recognised for its centuries-old Sateri-Kelbai temples. When the waters pull back, people return to the site to view the remaining portions of the temple design that once shaped the local architectural landscape.
Artifact Recovery
One stone sculpture of the folk deity Kelbai, carrying the Kadamba royal emblem and previously left unattended in the reservoir, was later recovered by the directorate of museums and is now on display in its gallery.
Call for Conservation
Visitors cite the Selaulim dam as a practical precedent, in which the Archaeological Survey of India dismantled the 10th-century Mahadev temple in Curdi village and rebuilt it nearby. Suraj Malik, who recently visited Gulle, said a comparable plan to dismantle and reconstruct Gulle’s temple remnants near the dam could protect them and also support documentation of the region’s historic temple architecture.
Heritage Significance
The four villages now under water, once situated near the old Chorla ghat route in the upper ghat region, were noted for their varied and substantial socio-cultural heritage. Locals say the now-submerged Gulle village had long been recognised for its centuries-old Sateri-Kelbai temples.
