The excavation work at the 5th-13th Century Buddhist complex in Ratnagiri has unearthed a colossal Buddha head, a massive palm, an ancient wall, and inscribed Buddhist relics, all of which are estimated to date back 8th and 9th Century AD.
The first excavations were carried out between 1958 and 1961 by Debala Mitra, an archaeologist who eventually served as ASI’s first woman director general (1981-83). However, the site was not excavated further after 1961, even though a number of other structures and sculptures were partially visible. Instead, the ASI turned its attention to other Buddhist sites in Odisha.
Key Takeaways:
1. Ratnagiri, literally “Hill of Jewels”, is located 100 km northeast of Bhubaneswar. It stands on a hill between Birupa and Brahmani rivers and is Odisha’s most famous — and the most excavated – Buddhist site.
2. Ratnagiri, one of the most well excavated Buddhist sites in the state, is one of the three points of Odisha’s famous Diamond Triangle along with Udaygiri and Lalitgiri. All three Buddhist heritage sites are located close to each other in the Jajpur and Cuttack districts of southeastern Odisha.
3. According to the Odisha tourism site, Lalitgiri is also known as Naltigiri among locals, and it is one of the oldest of the Buddhist diamond triangle of Odisha. One of the important findings from the site is the relic casket comprising four containers made of Khondalite, Steatite, Silver, and Gold. It is speculated that the relics belonged to Lord Buddha.
4. Udaygiri is the biggest of the three and is located between the foothills of two mountains ranges of the Eastern Ghats. This site is often confused with Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves of Bhubaneswar. According to the Odisha tourism site, an important aspect of this site is the fact that unlike Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri there are no sculptures or scriptures found so far at this site that link it to Vajrayana tantric cult.
5. The Ratnagiri site is believed to be an important early centre of the Vajrayana (or Tantrayana) school of Buddhism which believed in acquiring mystical power through Vajra, meaning thunderbolt or diamond. That is why the three Buddhist sites in Odisha are called the ‘Diamond Triangle.’
6. The Ratnagiri monastery is the only Buddhist monastery in India with a curvilinear roof. Historical evidence suggests that at its peak, the monastery was home to around 500 monks, who followed the Tantrayana form of Buddhism.
Findings from the site
1. ASI officials said the renewed excavations will help to place the colossal Buddha heads in the cultural framework of the site. Also, the ASI hopes to get a better understanding of the ceramic assemblage of the site.
| Ceramic assemblage |
| It is a collection of pottery and ceramic artefacts found at an archaeological site. According to experts, the ceramic assemblage can throw light on human activities, cultural practices, economic exchanges, and technological advancements in ancient times. |
3. According to Thomas Donaldson, Ratnagiri rivalled Nalanda as a learning centre, with even some of the Tibetan texts even seen at the place where the Mahayana and Tantrayana (also known as Vajrayana that involves mystical practices and concepts) sects of Buddhism originated.
A view of the excavation site in Ratnagiri, Odisha | Express photo
4. According to scholars like Sunil Patnaik, the latest discoveries signified how Odisha — home to over 100 ancient Buddhist sites — was once a place of great Buddhist learning.
5. “There are some studies that suggest that the renowned Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller, Hiuen Tsang, who visited Odisha, during 638-639 AD, might have visited Ratnagiri. The new excavations would shed light about the lifestyle, culture, religion, art and architecture at different times and also suggest whether there were more ancient (before 5th century) relics at the site.” one official says.
Odisha – an important Buddhist centre
1. In Odisha, Buddhism is stated to have particularly flourished under the Bhaumakara dynasty, which ruled parts of the state between the 8th and 10th Century.
2. Odisha has long enjoyed maritime and trade links with Southeast Asian countries. The popular items of trade with Southeast Asia were pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, silk, camphor, gold, and jewellery.
3. The state also annually holds Baliyatra, literally ‘voyage to Bali’ – a seven-day festival to commemorate the 2,000-year-old maritime and cultural links between Kalinga and Bali and other South and Southeast Asian regions such as Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Burma (Myanmar) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
4. Even though there was no evidence of Buddha visiting Odisha during his lifetime, Kalinga played a great role in popularising Buddhism. Experts believe that Tapassu and Bhallika, the two merchant brothers who became the first disciples of Lord Buddha, having their origins from Utkala, another ancient name of Odisha.
5. Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor of Magadha (c.268-232 BCE), is believed to have invaded Kalinga in 261 BC but, deeply moved by the bloodshed in the war, he turned to Buddhism and pacifism. He helped spread Buddhism not only to his own empire but also to Sri Lanka, and Central and Southeast Asia.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Vajrayana Buddhism
1. Vajrayana Buddhism developed from Mahayana Buddhism around the 6th–7th century CE. The school mainly flourished in Bengal, Bihar, and Tibet where it has survived.
2. In Vajrayana Buddhism, it is believed that salvation could best be achieved by acquiring magical powers, known as Vajra, meaning thunderbolt or diamond. The followers of this sect believed that this form of Buddhism focused on feminine divinities, who represented the force or potency (Shakti) behind male divinities. These feminine ‘spouses’ of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas in this sect were considered saviouresses (Tārās) of their followers.
2. Among the many formulas of tantric Buddhism, one is specially famous is “Om mani padme hum”; such formulae were expected to bestow magical power on the worship and lead to the highest bliss. According to A.L. Basham, this phrase means “Ah! The jewel is indeed in the lotus.”
(Source: Three massive Buddha heads and a giant palm: why ASI has resumed digging in Odisha’s Ratnagiri, asi.nic.in, A colossal Buddha head, a giant palm unearthed amid ASI excavation in Ratnagiri. What this means, A.L Basham: The wonder that was India)
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Knowledge Nugget: A colossal Buddha head excavated from Ratnagiri which is a part of 'Diamond triangle'. (Express photo) 
A view of the excavation site in Ratnagiri, Odisha | Express photo
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