Jan 31 -- KENDRAPADA: The remains of a Buddha Vihar with four stupas, four stone images of Buddha and some stone slabs with inscriptions have been unearthed at Asiha hillock in Majhipada villagenear Udayagiri in Jajpur district.
Harish Chandra Prusti, a Buddhist researcher and the principal of Sahasapur college inBalichandrapur, along with a few others, stumbled upon the buried remains of the monastery on Monday. I have been associated with Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS) (a government-run organization) for a long time to study historic sites in Jajpur district, said Prusti.
The four stupas are in monolithic form and the find date back to 8th century to 11th century, considered a glorious period of Buddhism. The inscriptions on the stupas are in early Brahmi script. The inscription contains many letters, but some are missing as they have been damaged. Besides, a rare Padmapani Budishtawa image, another stone image of four armed Oddiyan Kurukula and a presiding deity holding lotus and bow have also been unearthed, Prusti said.
He said many more Buddha images could be found in the hillock. The excavation of numerous Buddha images is not just historically significant but they also reveal the artistic excellence during the Buddhist era, added Dr Prusti.
Secretary of OIMSEAS Sunil Patnaik said, OIMSEAS had unearthed some stone slabs with inscriptions at Kaima hillock. A team of archaeologists will soon visit Asiha hillock to examine the stupas with inscriptions. We will also seek the help of experts to decipher those. OIMSEAS will preserve all stone slabs and stupa inscriptions.
The recent findings of rare stone slabs and stupas with inscriptions indicate that the hillock and its nearby areas were parts of Buddhist culture. But both the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and state archaeological department have been paying little attention to these lesser known Buddhist sites, said Ajya Bebrata Das, vice-president of Budhayan, a social organization that works for conservation of Buddhist sites in Jajpur and its neighbouring areas.