Evidence of Buddhist site found

by B. MADHU GOPAL, The Hindu, Oct 9, 2012

Site is at Gudiwada village of Bhogapuram mandal in Vizianagaram district

Vizianagaram, India -- The Department of Archaeology and Museums has stumbled upon evidence of a Buddhist heritage site at Gudiwada village of Bhogapuram mandal in Vizianagaram district.

<< Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums Vijayawada and FAC for Visakhapatnam K. Chittibabu showing a cistern found on the hill at Gudiwada of Bhogapuram mandal on the banks of Gosthani river in Vizianagaram district. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

The hill, located right on the banks of the Gosthani River, has been quarried on two sides, reducing it to a hillock.

There are evidences of a circular stupa, and a small cistern like structure carved out of the rock, and large bricks of 52 cm x 27 cm and 7 cm thickness, pieces of red ware and decorated pottery were also found at different levels on the hill.

Shrines

About one-half of the hilltop was flattened and two temple-like structures were constructed, may be around half-a-century ago by the villagers.

The two shrines had raised platforms but there were no idols.

There are bundles of wooden pieces kept in the temples and even to this day villagers worship the wooden pieces. This practice must have been an offshoot of the Buddhist tradition.

“The low height and small size of the stupa, and lack of sculptures indicate that it could have been constructed during the early phase of Buddhism, i.e., Teravada phase,” Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums for Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam (FAC) K. Chittibabu told The Hindu at the heritage site on Monday.

The stupa could have been used for religious purposes. Lime concrete plastering, found on some of the bricks, indicate traces of Hinayana Buddhism like those at the sites discovered at Thotlakonda and Bhavikonda. There are evidences of husk being used to burn the bricks.

The Buddhist monks must have preferred this site as the Gostani river flows by and joins the sea a few kilometres away at Bheemunipatnam. The river was a source of fresh drinking water besides providing a navigational route for sea trade with various parts of the world.

At the foot of a hill, an ancient stone idol of Lord Ganesh with the trunk turned to the left, which indicates that it came from Odisha, an old Nandi idol, a ‘Naga Bandham’ statue and a Siva Lingam were found.

‘Protection important’

“Protection of the site is important. But, this can be done only after the government declares it as a protected monument. Digging of trial trenches would require around Rs.1 lakh and full-fledged excavations could require Rs. 3 lakh to Rs.4 lakh and about a year’s time,” Mr. Chittibabu added.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP