Ancient tantric university uncovered: 27-10-2008
Scientists in India have discovered one of the country's oldest tantric universities.
The Oddantapuri Mahavihara tantric university had been forgotten for hundreds of years until members of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) uncovered its whereabouts this month, according to the Times of India.
The ancient site was built in 730 AD near Biharsharif Hill, but was thought to have been destroyed during the Turk Afghan Mohd Bakhtiar Khilji invasion in 1199 AD.
"I have made frequent visits to the site which is located on Biharsharif hill to locate the exact location of the ancient tantric university," ASI archaeologist P K Mishra told the newspaper.
"On the basis of various ancient texts I found a settlement on the top of Biharsharif hillock.
"The discovery of [the] tantric university at Biharsharif as a major seat of learning [will] add a new dimension to the field of ancient Indian history. Already we have two ancient universities - Nalanda and Vikramshila in Bihar. Now a third university in Bihar would be a new dimension to the study of tantricism."
According to the paper, travellers have been able to see some of the artefacts from the site for decades.
Despite the university only being discovered recently, seals and images of Buddhist and Hindu figures were found at the site in 1910 and displayed at the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
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