Buddhist sites to be excavated: 04-08-2008
Culture-conscious travellers in India this year will be interested to know that the state culture department has decided to excavate at no fewer than six sites following the discovery of a Buddhist site in Jajpur.
The discovery of a monolithic stupa (a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics) on the Panturi hill was followed by several other non-monolithic stupa discoveries.
In exciting news for Buddhists, rocks at the site bore the names of Lord Buddha's first two disciples, Tapasu and Bhallika, written in Brahmi.
The sites are set to become part of the Buddhist tourist circuit, with requests being made to improve road connectivity in the rural area, reports The Calcutta Telegraph.
Excavation work will now begin at Bajragiri, Deulapur, Kantigadi, Neulapur, Panturi and Radhanagar.
Meanwhile, excavations continue at Kapileswar, which scientists are hoping to establish was the birthplace of Buddha.
The town of Jajpur is believed to have once been the capital of the Kalinga Empire and is now known for its mineral reserves, with ten steel plants in the immediate vicinity.