As I disembarked from the vehicle and approached the ancient rock boulders, with the main temple structure constructed upon the summit, I was aghast to discover that survival of past remnants at the site seemed to be in great danger as rock boulders containing ancient sculptures and even inscriptions were being covered and defaced by upcoming modern constructions. As I approached the rock face on the north, lying on the river side of the main stairway, I noticed a large platform being constructed with sand being filled within walls of concrete so as to create more space for the construction of structures to be rented out for running shops and commercial establishments by the temple management. At the bottom of one such construct which was soon supposed to be filled up with sand in order to extend the existing platform, an ancient sculpture of Surya on a rock boulder could be prominently noticed. Several locals who had by then approached after having seen me entering the temple premises along with several other police personnel, on being asked informed that many more of such sculpted boulders including one bearing the image of the Goddess Ganga (also noted and sketched by Cunningham for his report in 1879), had already been either covered or damaged by the temple management pressed with the ever-growing need of increasing the sources of finance for the temple and probably for other purposes as well, by way of filling and raising the land around the earlier island for accommodating more shops and commercial establishments, which could provide fixed rents.

To be continued.....