The success story of bihar

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Nalanda may be 1000 or more years old

JUAFFERDIH (NALANDA): The recent archaeological excavations carried out by the excavation branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Juafferdih, located barely three km west of the ruins of ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, suggest that the history of this region might date back to 1000 or more years. Nalanda Mahavihara, regarded as one of the greatest universities of the ancient world, was founded by Kumaragupta-I (413-455 AD) of the Gupta dynasty. King Harshavardhana of Kannauj (606-647 AD) and the Pala kings of the Eastern India (8th-12th century AD) continued to extend patronage to this centre of learning. "We have collected a good number of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) of an early historical period (3rd century BC) during the course of a two-month-long excavation at the Juafferdih site," said head of the excavation branch of ASI Patna Satish S Sharan. "On the basis of excavations carried out by the ASI, we can say that the history of the region might date back to more than 1000 years," Sharan, who is camping at the site, told TOI. Sharan also submitted a brief note of the Juafferdih excavations to the director general of ASI, Babu Rajiv, during his visit to the site on Monday. The ASI DG also discussed about the project and its findings with the ASI officials. Speaking to TOI, Babu Rajiv said: "We have massive plans for Nalanda. After assessing the present excavations at Juafferdih, we will chalk out yet another excavation plan for Nalanda." The antiquities discovered in course of excavations include terracotta, pieces of glass bangles, terracotta sling balls, terracotta snake, incised snake hoods, copper bangle pieces, bone arrowhead and iron arrowhead. As regards to the recovery of potteries, Sharan said the ceramic industries must have flourished here. He said the shapes of the discovered bowls are carinated with "handi" and jars. Two discovered broken bowls of the black ware are equally important, he said, adding that similar kinds of ceramics were discovered during the excavation at Rajgriha in the '50s. Another important discoveries at Juafferdih were mud stupas. According to Sharan, the mud stupas resemble the famous Vaishali and Lauriya Nandangarh stupas. These mud stupas might date back to the Mauryan period, he said.

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