Recent Archaeological Investigations in Nalanda and Surroundings (Bihar), India) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Manaviki, 2014
Nalanda is known for its ancient ruins of the Buddhist Monasteries boasting the greatest International University. The capital of Magadha was Rajagriha in Modern Nalanda District. Whenever the archaeology of Magadha is studied the limit comes to an end with Buddhist Archaeology. The chronological sequence of the district and its surrounding is yet to be confirmed. Prehistoric evidences are reported from Rajgir hilly tract but still the certainty and conformity are to be done. The BRW pot sherds are also reported. During excavation at Juafardih in excavation session 2006-07 and excavations at Ghorakatora in excavation sessions 2007-09 several sites have been investigated and documented. Later on we revisited them adding some other sites too. The paper tries to present archaeological information of some larger sites which have not been studied in detail earlier, although the ceramics are not detailed here but a brief information is given. The paper also try to identify the sites having potential for excavation on basis for their rich collection and their location. The Jethian, Sarsoogarh and Tapovana-Chandelagarh are lying under the jurisdiction of Gaya district and rest sites are under Nalanda district. The below mentioned sites are not properly explored or documented by researchers in detail either due to ignorance, unreachability or fear of Naxalism.
The attempt of the present paper is to bring forth the archaeological potential of sites around the famous Buddhist monastery of Telhāḍ a. It is a fait accompli that sites in the neighbourhood of such illustrious establishment will get overshadowed and their existence marginalized to only as catchment-sites. However, in this case we have attempted to show on the basis of the available sculptural and architectural ruins that one should be wary of such blanket observations and treat each and every settlement sites for their individual merit which may not always be outstanding but certainly qualify for an objective observation.
The Expanse of Archaeological Remains at Nalanda: A Study Using Remote Sensing and GIS
Archives of Asian Art, 2016
Historical records suggest that Nalanda was a Buddhist monastery of considerable repute with immense physical dimensions, which remained in existence from the fourth/fifth century until at least the end of the twelfth. This study investigates the area around Nalanda for evidence of human activity at such spatiotemporal scales using satellite images. Among its finds are: the site is much larger than the property protected by the Archaeological Survey of India; there is evidence of additional temples and monasteries; and there are indications of a large archaeological structure under Begumpur that was either a part of the Nalanda complex or a separate entity.
Latest Research on Ancient Buddhist Temple Sites of Nalanda in India
Gyeongju Institute of Cultural and Heritage Research , South Korea , 2024
The ancient Mahavihara site of Nalanda has garnered the attention of researchers for the past two centuries, beginning in the early decades of the 19th century. The work on the knowledge traditions of Nalanda is outstanding, providing in-depth insights into the practices during its existence. The archaeological discoveries are the most important sources for understanding the architectural and morphological details of the institution building of Nalanda. In the last two decades, excavations have revealed considerable evidence of temple remains. The authenticity and integrity of the evidence exposed during early excavations are further attested by archival documents preserved in photo albums and cartographic collections of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). There are authentic material sources, especially drawings from old fieldwork conducted between the 1860s and 1930s are available. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some volumes of albums were traced in the Archaeological Site Museum Nalanda. These collections of archival photographs contain pictures of the excavation works carried out during the early phase. The recent excavations around the Sarai Mound area revealed a cluster of votive stupas attached to the magnificent temple enshrining a standing image of Buddha made in stucco, perhaps one of the tallest statues of the time. In the last two decades, some temples were exposed at the backside of the main Temple site 3, attributed to the 4th structural phase and some votive stupa structures. Analysis of these findings, together with the archival drawings, photographs, and recent excavations, provides great insight into the core material aspect, specifically for the temple remains of Nalanda.
Recent Archaeological Investigation of Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India
Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, 2020
This paper seeks to investigate the ancient settlement pattern and archaeological material culture to support the oral and literary history and main reasons of disappearance of the sites in Varanasi. On the basis of archaeological records,it has been observed that, Pre-NBPW culture settlement were the earliest (3 %), followed by NBPW (8%), Sunga (11%), Kushana (27 %), Gupta (22%) and Early Medieval (29%). We have continous records of human settlement up to Medieval Period. Most of the sites are situated on the bank of Ganga and Varuna River. It suggests that the disrict was occupied in Pre-NBPW period for a longer span of time. But as observed in other districts, the number and size of Kushana settlement was continued to increase. However Gupta Period settlement records are unsatisfactory and there is much decline in the number of sites in comprison of Kushana period. There is an increase of settlement in early medieval period but it is only the half of Kushana Period settlements. A comparative study of potsherds and antiquities recovered from these sites shows that they may be ascribable from Pre-NBPW to early medieval period. Sites of Ayar, Sarshawa, Harsos, Bahutra, and Zakhini are very rich in the sense of archaeological potential. Horizontal excavations of both the sites may be able to throw light on various aspects and give a new dimension to the archaeology of middle Ganga plain.