Ujjain’s Vaishya Tekri stupa may be excavated again

Why in News?

Madhya Pradesh is preparing to reopen archaeological investigations at Vaishya Tekri in Ujjain, where a massive ancient Buddhist stupa is believed to lie buried. The site, estimated to be around 2,200 years old, could provide important evidence about the spread of Buddhism during the Mauryan period.

Key Points

The Vaishya Tekri stupa is believed to date back to around the 3rd century BCE, during the Mauryan period. This would make the structure more than 2,000 years old.

An earlier excavation was conducted in 1938–39 during the British period. The excavation had to be stopped after a gas leak reportedly caused several labourers to lose consciousness, leaving the site largely unexplored.

The archaeological report from that period described the structure as “perhaps the biggest known” Buddhist stupa at the time. It estimated the stupa to be approximately 350 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet high.

For comparison, the Great Stupa at Sanchi has a diameter of about 120 feet and a height of around 54 feet, making the estimated Vaishya Tekri structure considerably larger.

Vaishya Tekri consists of a large circular mound surrounded by a rectangular depression. The 1938–39 excavation exposed portions of the main stupa and remains of two smaller stupas.

Archaeologists described its construction as a unique form of architecture not encountered elsewhere, according to the historical archaeological report.

The site is located approximately 236 km west of Sanchi, another major Buddhist archaeological centre in Madhya Pradesh.

Source: ToI

CLICK HERE: UPSC PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED WEEKLY TEST (ENG & HINDI)

CLICK HERE FOR GS TIMES PRAHAR UPSC GS MAINS TEST SERIES 

CLICK HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ (FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS)