Lakkundi Excavations Boost UNESCO Bid | 29 Jan 2026

Source: TH 

Recently, excavations at Lakkundi village in Gadag district, Karnataka, near the Kote Veerabhadreshwar Temple, yielded Neolithic-period relics, giving momentum to efforts to include the site in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. 

Lakkundi 

• About: Lakkundi, earlier known as Lokkigundi, is located about 12 km from Gadag and was historically referred to as the “village of hundred wells and temples”. 
• Historical Importance: Lakkundi finds mention in 11th–12th century inscriptions and was once compared to Amaravati, the capital of Indra, for its prosperity.  
  • It had a tankashale (mint) and was ruled by the Chalukyas, Yadavas and Hoysalas.  
  • It served as the capital of the Hoysala king Veeraballala in 1192 AD. 
• Cultural and Religious Legacy: The village was the Karmabhoomi of Queen Attimabbe, a Jain philanthropist renowned for building temples, Jain basadis, and wells. 
  • In her honour, the State has instituted an award known as the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Prashasti. 
  • While Jainism flourished, Lakkundi also nurtured 12th-century sharanas such as Ajaganna and Muktayakka, associated with Basaveshwara’s reformist movement. 
• Architectural Features: Though many structures no longer exist, records mention 13 surviving temples in the Kalyana Chalukya architectural style, along with intricately carved stepwells. 
• Support: The State, in collaboration with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), is finalising a proposal to include Lakkundi monuments in  UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites (WHS).