Ongoing excavations at the Ratnagiri (“hill of jewels”) archaeological site, home to the remains of the most significant Buddhist monastery in India’s eastern Odisha State, have garnered much media attention for the wealth of historical artifacts unearthed—substantial evidence of the region’s rich Buddhist history and heritage. Notable artifacts recovered by archaeologists include three huge Buddha heads, numerous votive stupas, an ancient wall, inscription plaques, clay pottery and ceramic artifacts, and other relics—some of which are estimated to be 1,500 years old.

A team of archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been working on the 5th–13th century Buddhist complex for the past three months—an effort that comes after a 60-year gap in excavations—hoping to learn more about the Buddhist legacy of India’s historic eastern coastal region of Kalinga.*

Among the latest finds are stone tablets bearing inscriptions and votive stupas, also with inscriptions, which have helped the archaeologists date the remarkable Buddha heads. Translations of the inscriptions, which are written in Sanskrit and in the Kutila script, have led archaeologists to conclude that the heads date to the eighth century CE. Many of the inscriptions are reported to record dharanis, lengthy Buddhist mantras. In addition, Nagari script inscriptions dated to the 12th century CE have been found.

[The largest Buddha head] “was magnificent,” the superintending archaeologist (Puri Circle), Dibishada Brajasundar Garnayak, acknowledged. “There were wrinkles on its neck. I was amazed at the level of expertise people had back then, carving such sharp and intricate features without modern tools. Besides the colossal head, we also found two other Buddha heads lying nearby.” (The Hindu)

Garnayak added that the true significance of the recovered materials would only be known after a throrough analysis.

More stone-carved body parts, including palms and fingers, have been unearthed since the head, leading archaeologists to surmise that they are part of a huge sculpture of the Buddha in a meditative posture.

Another ASI archaeologist noted that although Buddha heads were found at Ratnagiri during the previous period of excavations from 1958–61, the noses and ears of those examples had been broken.

“This time the heads are in perfect shape,” he said. “One of the three heads is the biggest one recovered so far. It is about 1.5 meters high. A stone pedestal, used for holding the Buddha head, has also been found.” (Orissa Post)

PhD scholar Rajat Gajbhiye from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, remarked that he had visited nearly all of the Buddhist sites in the region. “The sculptures unearthed here exhibit mature facial features that have evolved over time,” he said. “The artisans of Ratnagiri demonstrated greater precision compared to those who worked at the other sites. The remarkable finesse of these sculptures is likely the result of months of meticulous polishing with various materials.” (The Hindu)

Spread across 7.3 hectares, Ratnagiri is one of the three major Buddhist sites in the region, collectively known as the “Diamond Triangle.” The others are Lalitgiri and Udayagiri. Once a thriving center of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage, historical evidence indicates that Ratnagiri flourished from the 5th–13th centuries.

The researchers further indicated that Ratnagiri was a center for both Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist study and practice, with Vajrayana activities in the area continuing until the 16th century.

Historians have postulated that Ratnagiri rivaled Nalanda as a center of Buddhist learning. The main mahavihara at Ratnagiri is the only Buddhist monastery in India with a curvilinear roof, according to media reports, which cited historical research as indicating that the complex was home to as many as 500 monastics, who practice tantric expressions of Buddhism.

A copper plate charter of King Karnadeva (r. c. 1100–1110) of the Somavamsi dynasty, unearthed during excavations, confirmed that the site was once a major centre for tantric Buddhism.

“There are some studies that suggest that the renowned Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler, Xuanzang, who visited Odisha from 638–39 CE, might have visited Ratnagiri,”an ASI official was quoted as saying. “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 the fifth century] relics at the site.” (The Indian Express)

A shrine complex has also been discovered, with several hundred votive stupas, Garnayak noted: “[The] discovery of such a large number of votive stupas indicates that Ratnagiri was a major center for Buddhist monks.” (Orissa Post) 

In recent weeks, substantial quantities of pottery shards have been discovered, dated from the 7th–8th century CE to the 14th century CE, and providing a physical link to the medieval traditions of Odisha.

Garnayak observed that pottery could be considered the “alphabet” of archaeology, able to provide evidence of food habits, religion, and social systems. “Therefore, during this excavation, we are giving more emphasis on pottery assemblage which was not the case during the 1960s excavation, when the focus was more on structural findings.” (The New Indian Express)

Buddhism in the Kalinga region gained prominence under Emperor Ashoka ( c. 304–232 BCE; r. c. 268–232 BCE) after the Kalinga war, which ended c. 261 BCE, historians noted. Ratnagiri served as a major center of study and practice, and as a waypoint from which Buddhism was transmitted via maritime and overland routes to other parts of the world, in particular Southeast Asia.

Excavations at Ratnagiri are expected to continue until the end of March, when summer temperatures will make further work untenable. Further analysis of the findings to date will then be carried out, including determining whether the 1.5-meter Buddha head is the largest ever found in India.

* Archaeologists Unearth Buddhist Artifacts in Ratnagiri, India (BDG)

See more

Knowledge Nugget: How Ratnagiri is important to the ‘Diamond Triangle’ for UPSC (The Indian Express)
The relics of Ratnagiri (The Hindu)
Odisha’s buddhist past makes itself present (The New Indian Express)
Latest discoveries at Ratnagiri may shed new light into Odisha’s Buddhist past (The Print)
Massive Buddha heads found intact after 1,300 Years; experts call it ‘perfect work of art’ (Orissa Post)
Massive Buddha head and ancient relics unearthed in Odisha’s Ratnagiri (Phayul)

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