Bhubaneswar: Some priceless relics have been found during excavations at Ratnagiri Buddhist site in Jajpur district of Odisha. The excavation was being carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
A monolithic elephant, fragments of Buddhist deities, votive stupas and more have been excavated from the site. The Ratnagiri Buddhist excavation site lies on a hill between Brahmani and Birupa rivers.
Officials said among the most striking finds is a broken monolithic elephant, an imposing structure measuring five feet in length and over 3.5 feet in height. The relic is one of the largest and most graceful of its kind in Odisha, added officials.
“The excavation has also yielded a wealth of treasures, including a colossal Buddha head, sculptural fragments of Buddhist deities, monolithic and masonry votive stupas along with an assortment of brick and stone structures and a collection of ceramics,” they said.
The excavation started in the first week of December.
The site was last excavated from 1958 to 1961 by the ASI under eminent archaeologist Debala Mitra’s guidance. She had then dated the nucleus of the site to 5th century CE. Development in the site continued till 12th century CE, reported the New Indian Express.
After Muslim invaders came to the site, it witnessed decline during the 13th century CE. Earlier, Mitra had reportedly compared the Buddhist establishment at Ratnagiri to that of Nalanda.
