This story is from November 26, 2017

Nitish Kumar launches excavation at Jayanagar hills in Lakhisarai

Nitish Kumar launches excavation at Jayanagar hills in Lakhisarai
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday launched an excavation work at the Jayanagar hills, 125km from Patna, in Lakhisarai district.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently approved the excavation for a year based on the recent discovery of a medieval period monastery (6-10th century AD) at Jayanagar. The exercise is to be jointly carried out by the Bihar Virasat Vikas Samiti and Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan.

“A sculpture in this Buddhist monastery look similar to those found in other Pal period (8-12 century AD) structures,” the CM said while inspecting the site.
Bihar Virasat Vikas Samiti’s executive director Bijoy Kumar Chaudhary said British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham, who was the ASI’s first DG, also mentioned about the monastery in an archaeological report. Several cells and a courtyard resembling a monastery have been identified at the site so far.
Several coins were also discovered by locals while digging a mound at Jayanagar in December 2016. Prof Anil Kumar of Visva Bharati later opined the coins dated back to the period of Alauddin Khilji and Maratha ruler Bajirao Shinde.
Nitish directed the state officials to take steps for the preservation and protection of seven archaeological sites in and around the Jayanagar hills.
“Quite a number of historical monuments, including Buddhist monasteries and Brahminical temples belonging to this period, have been found in and around Lakhisarai,” said Chaudhary.
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