A massive archaeological exploration campaign in the heart of India’s tiger reserve recently led to the discovery of dozens of ancient religious structures.
Useful archeology campaign
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) released photos taken during the expedition on social media, showing the remains of a Buddhist building with various wall inscriptions. The discovery was made after obtaining special permission from the forest district to explore the Bandhavgarh nature reserve, located about 500 kilometers from Bhopal, the state’s largest capital in the city center. India.
” For the first time since 1938, archaeologists were able to explore this tiger reserve, which covers nearly 170 square kilometers of land in a matter of months. the Indian agency said in a statement. ” During this campaign, 26 temples, 26 caves, 2 monasteries, 2 votive stupas, 24 inscriptions, 46 statues, other scattered remains and 19 water structures were documented.. »
According to archaeologists, these structures were built between the 2nd and 5th centuries, during the reign of King Shri Bhimsena, Maharaja Pothasiri, Maharaja Bhattadeva, implying that they are at least 1,500 years old. In comparison, Stonehenge is thought to have been built 5,000 years ago and the pyramids of Giza were erected about 500 years later.
Trade relations and religious harmony
The team was surprised to find that some wall inscriptions (written in Brahmi and Nagari) mention ancient cities like Mathura and Kaushambi, now located in other Indian states. ” Although this is only conjecture, these distant cities of Bandhavgarh show that there were close trade links between these different regions. “, shows the press release.
Coins dating from the Mughal era and the Sharqi dynasty of the Jaunpur Sultanate have also been unearthed during the exploration of the ruins.
” To me, the most surprising find were the remains of Buddhist buildings in an area where a Hindu dynasty ruled. », underscores the archaeologist Sunil Kumar Bajpai, who led the expedition. ” We still don’t know who built it, but it shows a certain religious harmony. »
