NATIONALTAMILNADU

Published:January8,201500:00IST|Updated:January8,201505:52IST
NALGONDA,January8,2015

MajorarchaeologicalfindinNalgonda
T.KARNAKARREDDY

AviewofthesiteatPhanigiriinNalgondadistrict.Photo:SingamVenkataramana
ReliccasketisbelievedtobethatoftheBuddhaorhisdisciple
Inararearchaeologicaldevelopment,DepartmentofArchaeologyandMuseumsofficialsfoundthereliccasketofBuddhaorhisdisciple
duringtheexcavationofthePhanigiriMonasticBuddhistsiteinNalgondadistrictonTuesday.
SpeakingtoTheHindu,DeputyDirectorJ.VijayKumarsaidthattheyhadbeenexcavatingthesitesincelastFebruaryundertheguidanceof
DirectorB.Srinivas.DuringtheexcavationtheyfoundaMahaStupainsidewhichwasthereliccasket.
TheofficialsopenedthecaskettofindameditationmalagenerallyusedbyBuddhistmonkswithbeadsandalsodisintegratedlotusflower
madeupofgoldandsilver.
Therelicswerefoundinasmallsilverboxthatwaskeptinasmallearthenpotwhichwasputinanotherbiggerearthenpotandburiedinthe
stupa.
HesaidtheMahaStupasarecalledSarirakaStupa(buriedbodilyremainsoftheBuddha),PhariBogikaStupa(buriedbelongingsofLord
BuddhaandUddeshikaStupa,buttheyidentifieditasPhariBogikaStupasincetheyfoundbelongingsoftheBuddha.
Mr.VijayKumarsaidafterthedeathofLordBuddhahisremainswerekeptateightplacesinstupasintheworldbyhisdisciples,butthe
MauryanEmperorAshoka,whoembracedBuddhismafterthegreatKalingawarin3rdcenturyBC,hadremovedtherelicsandbelievedto
havekepttheremainsat84,000placesintheworldtospreadBuddhismacrosstheglobe.
Highlightingtheimportanceoffindingthereliccasket,Mr.VijayKumarsaidinundividedAndhraPradesh,archaeologistshadfoundtherelic
casketsonlyattwoplacesoneatNagarjunasagarandanotheratBojjannakonda,anotherBuddhistsiteabout45kmfromVishakhapatnam.
Casketintact
Accordingtotheirobservation,theDeputyDirectorhassaidtheStupa,inwhichthereliccasketwasfound,wasrenovatedthriceduringthe
Mauryan,theSatavahanaandtheIkshvakuperiods.
ThefallofBuddhisminPhanigirihadstartedduringtheVishnukundinsperiod,butsurprisinglythereliccasketremainedintact.
SpecialOfficeroftheArchaeologyDepartment,J.H.RangaChary,whoaccompaniedMr.VijayKumar,saidthattheywouldtaketherelic
caskettoHyderabadtostudyitdetailinthepresenceofDirectorSrinivasandotherexperts.
AssistantDirector,B.RamuluNaik,technicalassistant,P.Nagarajuandothersexecutedexecutionworkshere.
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nalgonda/article6766047.ece
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