Archaeologists in Jammu and Kashmir have uncovered a 2,000-year-old Buddhist complex in the village of Zehanpora, Baramulla District. The discovery sheds new light on the Kashmir Valley’s role in early Buddhist history and its connections to the wider Gandhara cultural sphere.

The discovery, announced following systematic excavation and survey work conducted in 2025, has revealed Buddhist stupas, monastic structures, and urban-style settlement remains dating primarily to the Kushan period (1st–3rd centuries CE). The findings have drawn national attention, and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, described the discovery as a “proud moment” that opens a window onto Kashmir’s glorious past. (Times of India)

The site is on agricultural land along the Jhelum River and had long been marked by several low, unassuming mounds. While these formations were known to local residents and had attracted intermittent scholarly attention over previous decades, their significance remained uncertain until recent technological and archival breakthroughs.

According to officials, a key turning point came with the identification of old, blurred photographs housed in a French museum archive. The images, believed to date back around a century, depict three Buddhist stupas in the Baramulla region. During his monthly radio address, Modi said the “rare pictures at [a] French museum helped researchers connect the dots and confirm the historical importance of Jehanpora.” (NDTV)

Drone-based surveys and aerial mapping subsequently confirmed that the Zehanpora mounds were manmade formations. Excavations that followed uncovered apsidal stupa foundations, monastic cells, pottery shards, copper artifacts, and stone walls. Archaeologists reported that the layout of the structures closely resembled Gandharan Buddhist architectural styles.

The excavation was carried out jointly by the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums (DAAM), Jammu and Kashmir, and the University of Kashmir, with approval from the Archaeological Survey of India. Onsite work was led by assistant professor of archaeology at the University of Kashmir, Mohammad Ajmal Shah, and the supervision of DAAM director Kuldeep Krishan Sidha.

Javaid Ahmed Matto, an excavation assistant with DAAM, told ANI in November that the discovery was “a matter of pride,” noting that both archaeological and literary sources had long hinted at Buddhism’s presence in the region. He cited accounts by the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, who recorded entering Kashmir via Silk Route corridors during the seventh century. (India Today)

“All the artifacts recovered so far—pottery, copper objects, and stone walls—appear to belong to the Kushan period,” Matto said, adding that additional stupas were expected to be excavated in future phases. (India Today)

Scholars say the findings place Kashmir firmly within the Gandhara Buddhist network, which linked regions of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India through trade, pilgrimage, and monastic exchange. The head of the Department of Political Science at Government Degree College, Katra, Harmeet Singh Soodan, wrote in the Daily Excelsior newspaper that the scale and layout of the Zehanpora complex indicate sustained patronage over centuries and support long-cited textual references to Kashmir as a center of Buddhist learning.

Historically, Buddhism is believed to have taken root in Kashmir during the Mauryan period under Ashoka (r. 268–232 BCE), expanding significantly during the rule of the Kushan dynasty. The Kushans, whose empire stretched from Central Asia across the Kashmir Valley into the Gangetic plain, played a central role in promoting Buddhism, trade, and urban development.

Officials involved in the project say the Zehanpora site may also have links to the ancient Kushan capital of Huvishkapura, further underscoring Baramulla’s historical role as a gateway between Kashmir and the Gandhara region.

“Jehanpora rediscovery reinforces Kashmir’s historic place as a confluence of civilizations,” an official associated with the project said. “It establishes Kashmir’s Buddhist heritage that was long overshadowed by more familiar historical narratives.” (NDTV)

With further excavation planned, researchers believe the site may significantly reshape scholarly understanding of Kashmir’s ancient past and its position in the transregional networks of early Buddhism.

See more

A 2,000-year-old Buddhist site from Kushan Period resurfaces in Kashmir! (Times of India)
Archaeologists Discover Kashmir’s Buddhist Past, “Proud Moment,” Says PM (NDTV)
Photo of Buddhist stupas in France spotlights Kashmir’s ancient past: PM (Economic Times)
How blurry photos in France helped dig up Kashmir’s 2000-year-old Buddhist past (India Today)

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