Bhubaneswar: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has given the go-ahead for the excavation of the historic Parabhadi hill in Odisha’s Jajpur district. The work to search for Buddhist remains will begin on Thursday, sources said, adding that this would ensure that the site is protected from illegal stone quarrying and conserved.
Two years ago, the state government had planned to mine the hill for khondalite stones to be used in Puri town renovation under ABHADA scheme. Six Khondalite mines – Chandia (4 acres), Sukhuaparha (78.3 acres) and Teligarh (27.5 acres) in Jajpur district, Gobindapur (20.3 acres) in Cuttack district and Kurumpada Decorative Stone (1.67 acre) and Kundakundi Kunda stone quarry (4.67 acres) – were reserved for the heritage projects.
Parabhadi hill, located close to Lalitgiri, had remains of a few sculptures placed in a rock-cut gallery, known as Hathi-khal (elephant pit), and among those, a headless statue of Maitreya, a head-less statue of Akasagarbha and only the lower portion of Lokesvara were later shifted Lalitgiri museum. This apart, a circular stone platform at the top of this hill is often referred to by locals as the court of the legendary king Vasukalpa-Kesari.
“Parabhadi hill houses a structure which is believed to be a Buddhist stupa due to its circular appearance and a rock-cut sculpture of meditating Buddha. The stupa is partially exposed and it is believed that a Buddhist establishment existed here during the early period,” head of Bhubaneswar circle Dibishada B Garnayak told TNIE.
This is the first time excavation is being carried out on the hill, which archaeologists had avoided earlier considering that the stupa was located very high and there were a lot of stones around.
Besides Parabhadi, the ASI has approved the excavation of Narahuda village in Khurda, which is believed to be of Chalcolithic age with a lot of artefacts of that era having been discovered in the past, by its Bhubaneswar circle.
