Odisha: Buddhist sculptures, pillar unearthed from riverbed in Jajpur district

KENDRAPADA: A three-feet tall stone sculpture of goddess Marichi, a broken Buddha idol, a stone pillar and other objects were unearthed from the riverbed of the Baitarani near Kunjabiharipur village in Jajpur district during sand mining on Monday.
Some workers found the objects while digging sand from the dry riverbed. "We found stone sculptures, broken stone idols, old bricks and other objects during sand mining in the river.After the objects were discovered, villagers stopped the mining work and helped remove the artefacts from the riverbed," said Manomohan Das, a local resident.
The development, according to researchers, indicates that the village and its nearby areas were part of Buddhist sites. "The size of the stone sculpture of goddess Marichi, discovered here, is similar to the Marichi sculptures of Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri. We believe all the objects are the remnants of a Buddha stupa of the eighth century. Since third century BC till the medieval period, Buddhism flourished in Odisha. But it is difficult to ascertain exactly which period these artefacts belong to until archaeological department officials examine them," said Nrusingh Sahoo, a noted researcher.
He added that senior officials of the Archaeological Survey of India and the cultural department have been informed about the development. "They will decide if the site needs to be excavated," Sahoo said.
Noted archaeologist and secretary of the government-run Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies, Sunil Patnaik, said, "The discovery of the stone sculpture of Marichi proves that it was a Buddhist site. Marichi is a Buddhist deity. The site had submerged after the river changed its course. We will soon visit the area."