Cool Bihari: World Heritage Week in Bihar

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Patna circle, will celebrate the week-long World Heritage Week commencing from Saturday. This time, the ASI will celebrate it at Kocheswar Mahadev temple at Koch in Gaya district. P K Mishra, superintending archaeologist of ASI's Patna circle, said very soon an action plan for the development of this temple will be taken up. The temple is located about 27 km northwest of Gaya.

"The surrounding environment requires to be changed. It was a big temple complex and many important sculptures of 8th century are scattered all over the area," Mishra said. The Vishnu, Dasavatar, Uma-Maheshwar etc are the main sculptures lying in an area adjacent to this monument. These also include the ancient tank which speaks volume of its antiquity. The temple has been declared as a monument of national importance by the ASI since 1996 and it has been maintaining its authenticity by its periodical conservation programme on this site.

For the first time, the ASI's Patna circle is celebrating the World Heritage Week on the premises of the Kocheshwar temple by inviting students, scholars and common masses to create a sense of awareness about the rich cultural heritage.