Posted on 08/05/2005 12:25:41 PM PDT by blam
3rd century Buddhist relic discovered
Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Aug. 3. — The state cultural department today claimed to have discovered 3 Asokan stupas dating back to the 3rd century BC in Dharmasala area of Jajpur district.
The discovery is likely to provide further archaeological evidences on the visit of Lord Buddha to Kalinga, site of the historic Kalinga war and the location of Kalinga’s capital.
Talking to reporters here today, culture minister Dr Damodar Rout said that the Orissa Institute of Maritime and South-East Asian Studies, under the state culture department, had taken up the excavation work at Tarapur, Deuli, Kayama and Radhanagar in Jajpur district, simultaneously during 2004-05, after getting the nod from the Archaeological Survey of India.
During the excavation, the three Asokan stupas were discovered at Tarapur, Kayama and Deuli, he claimed.
During the course of excavation, square stupas made of laterite blocks, burnt bricks, railing pillars, cross bars and other architectural monuments like the Asokan stupas were unearthed.
Besides, pottery and terracotta remains of the stupas were discovered too.
The brick sizes resemble those in the Mauryan period and are comparable to Kausambi bricks. No images or icons were found at the excavation sites.
The minister said that these facts indicated that these stupas were constructed in the early phases of the “Hinayana” period — during the Asokan era.
Giving details of the finds, Dr Debaraj Pradhan, secretary of Orissan Institute of Maritime & South-East Asian Studies and the head of the excavation operation, said: “Six inscribed plain railing pillars were discovered from Tarapur”.
These inscriptions in early Brahmi, proto-Oriya and Oriya scripts were deciphered by Dr Jay Prakash, deputy superintending epigraphist of the ASI.
The inscriptions on the pillars known to be “kesa thupa” and “bheku tapasa danam” led to the presumption that the Buddhist site at Tarapur was the “kesa stupa” where the hairs of Lord Buddha were kept.
It was constructed by Tapusa, Buddha’s first disciple, he added.
Similarly, a rock-cut elephant with the inscription “gaja-raja”, a number of inscriptions on rock-cut benches and a huge shell inscription were also discovered.
These inscriptions indicated that Lord Buddha might have visited the place or his bodily remains might have been deposited there.
Also, Tisa, brother of Asoka, had a close association with Kalinga, said Dr Pradhan.
Discovery of several inscriptions and other corroborative evidences that have been found from Radhanagar fort established the fact thet it was the capital city of Tosali, observed the archaeologist.
He also presumed from the recent archaeological discovery that probably the theatre of Kalinga war was not Dhauli on the banks of Daya river, but Tarapur on the banks of Brahmani.
GGG Ping.
I was thinking the same thing.
Didn't Arafat say that Buddism was a myth? Wait, wrong thread.
That was bloody obscene!
Someone in a bad mood might even hit the abuse button!
Beat me to it! That headline was a hanging curve ball just waiting to be hit out of the park!
WOW, Thats a little over kill dontca think?
Islam and the Moos are a cancer on the whole world.
Stare into the eyes....................
The minister said that these facts indicated that these stupas were constructed in the early phases of the “Hinayana” period — during the Asokan era.
Before the "idolaters" made idols (from a Muslim perspective)?? Yet another place on my impossible "must see" list. Thanks for posting.
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