1,300 year-old Buddhist stupa found in Odisha

March 1, 2023

The Archaeological Survey of India recently discovered a 1,300-year-old Buddhist stupa near Jagannath temple located in Puri. The stupa was discovered during a mining operation. Khondalite stone is mined here. It is a metamorphic rock and was used in the construction of the Puri Jagannath temple.

About the Stupa

The discovered stupa is 4.5 metres tall.
It belongs to the 7^th or 8^th century

Located in the Prabhadi site

The stupa was discovered in the Prabhadi site of Odisha. The prabhadi site is located near Lalitagiri, a major Buddhist complex. Lalitagiri has many stupas, Buddha images, and monasteries.

Issues around the discovery

With this discovery, the ASI may take over the site. Already the ASI has taken over several sites like Sukhuapada. The problem is these regions are the Khondalitte mining zones. The Khondalite stone is used extensively in the ABADHA scheme. ABADHA is the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and the Development of Heritage and Architecture scheme. With the ASI taking over the sites, the ABADHA scheme implementation will be affected. The State Government of Odisha has allocated Rs 3,208 crores for the ABADHA scheme. The ABADHA Scheme is also implementing Matha Development Initiative, the Atharnala heritage project, Puri Lake Development, the Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, etc.

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