Kendrapada: The ASI has discovered a Buddhist sculpture, dating back to 8th-9th century CE, from Parbata Panasura village, near Ratnagiri in Jajpur district.
The stone sculptor of Vajrasattva, crafted from Khondalite stone, is currently being worshipped as Sree Sree Bana Madhava in a local temple. “Vajrasattva is a central deity in Vajrayana Buddhism, representing wisdom and purity,” said Dibishada Brajasundar Garnayak, superintending archaeologist of ASI, Puri circle.
The discovery came during ASI’s five-month excavation at Ratnagiri, where numerous Buddha images and artefacts were unearthed from nearby hillocks. The ASI plans to resume excavation work next year.
The Ratnagiri Museum, established by the ASI in 1998, houses an extensive collection of Buddhist artefacts including sculptures, potteries, relic pots and terracotta plaques. “We plan to collect rare Buddha images from village temples for museum display. But we need cooperation from villagers who have been worshipping these artefacts for generations,” Garnayak said.
Interestingly, many Hindu communities around Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udayagiri worship Buddhist images in their temples. “In Hindu traditions, Buddha is considered the ninth avatar of Vishnu, which explains the worship of Buddha images in many temples,” explained Harish Chandra Prusti, a former college principal and a well known researcher.
