News Highlight,
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), discovered Buddhist cave and stupas at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
Key Takeaway
- The discoveries include Buddhist caves and stupas, Brahmi inscriptions and Varaha sculpture, possibly the world’s largest Varaha sculpture.
- The ASI team discovered 26 predominantly Buddhist caves dating back to the 2nd and 5th centuries.
Buddhist caves
- India’s cave architecture is thought to have started in prehistoric times.
- Buddhist and Jain monks used these caverns as places of worship and residence.
- The Mauryans were masters of cave architecture and are credited as the forefathers of rock-cut cave architecture.
- In the third to second centuries B.C, Buddhism became the dominant religion.
- Around this time, three distinct types of Buddhist architecture emerged:
- The Stupa
- Chaitya
- Vihara.
- A stupa is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics used as a place of meditation.
- The Chaitya were the places of worship and assembly of the monks, and it consisted of a stupa within the structure at one end.
- The Viharas were the residential quarters for Buddhist monks.
- The most notable Buddhist caves are
- Ajanta Caves-Maharashtra
- Ellora Caves-Maharashtra
- Barabar Caves-Bihar
- Elephanta Caves-Maharashtra
- Bagh Caves-Madhya Pradesh.
- Junagadh Caves-Gujarat
- Nasik Caves-Maharashtra
- Mandapeshwar Caves-Maharashtra
Brahmi script
- The Brahmi script is one of the oldest writing systems, having been used in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia during the last centuries BCE and the early centuries CE.
- The best-known Brahmi inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka, which date from 250–232 BCE and are found in north-central India. James Prinsep deciphered the script in 1837.
- Brahmi is typically written left to right.
Varaha sculpture
- Varaha is the third of the ten incarnations (avatars) of the Hindu god Vishnu.
- Udayagiri caves:
- Caves of Udayagiri is in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district.
- It was built under the patronage of Chandragupta II in the early fifth century AD and is known for its numerous sculptures on the hill walls.
- Varaha, or Vishnu’s Boar incarnation, is a renowned sculpture.
- One of the earliest Hindu sculptures may be found in the caverns.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
- ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organisation for the archaeological research and protection of the nation’s cultural heritage.
- Its activities include surveying ancient remains, excavating archaeological sites, conserving and maintaining protected monuments, etc.
- It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham– the first Director-General of ASI.
- Alexander Cunningham is also known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
- The Bandhavgarh Tiger reserve is located in the eastern Satpura hill range of Umaria and katni districts of Madhya Pradesh.
- The Tiger Reserve is Known for the healthy population of tigers and a variety of herbivores.
- Apart from the tiger, as many as 34 Mammals have been listed and nearly 260 species of birds and 70 species of butterflies.
Pic Courtesy: Holidify
Content Source: The Hindu