Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Buddhist temple and dozens of other well-preserved structures and artifacts at one of India’s tiger sanctuaries.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) shared images of caves, temples and other remains found in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, the largest state in central India.
“An ASI team has covered nearly 170 square kilometers in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve area over months of months of surveys of the region conducted for the first time since 1938,” the ASI wrote.
Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Buddhist temple and dozens of other well-preserved structures and artifacts at one of India’s tiger sanctuaries
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) shared images of caves, temples and other remains found in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, the largest state in central India
“An ASI team has covered nearly 170 square kilometers in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve area over months of months of surveys of the region conducted for the first time since 1938,” the ASI wrote
According to ASI, the period of finds includes the reigns of kings Shri Bhimsena, Maharaja Pothasiri, Maharaja Bhattadeva.
Some of the places deciphered in the inscriptions are Kaushami, Mathura, Pavata (Parvata), Vejabharada and Sapatanaairikaa.
“An exploration recorded 26 temples, 26 caves, 2 monasteries, 2 votive stupas, 24 inscriptions, 46 sculptures, other scattered remains and 19 water structures,” the team wrote.
The reigns of these kings are believed to have taken place between the second and fifth centuries, making the ruins around 1,500 years old.
Some of the places deciphered in the inscriptions are Kaushami, Mathura, Pavata (Parvata), Vejabharada and Sapatanaairikaa
“An exploration recorded 26 temples, 26 caves, 2 monasteries, 2 votive stupas, 24 inscriptions, 46 sculptures, other scattered remains and 19 water structures,” the team wrote
Coins from the Mughal and Sharqi dynasties of the Jaunpur Sultanate have also been discovered in the ruins.
“For me, the most amazing find is the remains of the Buddhist structures in the region where a Hindu dynasty ruled,” Jabalpur district chief archaeologist SK Bajpai, who led the team, said at a news conference.
“It suggests religious harmony, but who built these Buddhist structures is not yet known.”
The researchers didn’t expect to see inscriptions from older cities like Mathura and Kaushambi, since these cities are in another Indian state called Uttar Pradesh.
“The names of these towns, which are far from Bandhavgarh, suggest that there were trade links and people from other cities may have made donations, but again, these are conjectures,” a senior ASI official told a news conference at ASI headquarters in New Delhi, according to Newsweek.
“This is the first time ASI has explored Bandhavgarh since it was explored by archaeologist NP Chakravarti in 1938. Many structures there have been documented,” Bajpai said.
“We have reported and documented other structures including ancient caves, temples, Buddhist remains, mathematics, sculptures, bodies of water, wall inscriptions in ancient scripts such as Brahmi and Nagari.”