Udayagiri (Odisha)
| Udayagiri | |
|---|---|
 Overview of part of the entire system |
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| Data | |
| place | Jajpur District in Odisha ( India ) |
| Coordinates | 20 ° 38 '31.1 " N , 86 ° 16' 9.2" E |
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Udayagiri is a historic Buddhist monastery complex in the Indian state of Odisha . It was only discovered around the middle of the 20th century and uncovered in several excavation campaigns; further excavations on the site are planned.
location
Udayagiri (German: "Hill of the sunrise") is located in a hilly and wooded area about 45 km (driving distance) northeast of Bhubaneswar and can be reached by taxi. There are other Buddhist monasteries in the vicinity, Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri .
history
The historical name of the site, derived from inscriptions found on site, was Madhavapura Mahavihara . So far nothing is known about the founding time of the monastery; for stylistic reasons (decorative shapes etc.) it is concluded that the place was still inhabited by monks around 1000 AD. However, a century or two later, the facility appears to have been abandoned.
buildings
- In contrast to most other Buddhist sites in India, there are no rock caves in Udayagiri; all buildings are above ground and are free-standing.
- So far, the foundations of several larger stupas with a diameter of about 6 to 10 m have been exposed. In addition, there is an abundance of small votive stupas with a diameter of about 1 to 3 m distributed over the complex.
- A strange-looking stupa that stands apart and is square in the lower area with four outside niches in which well-preserved Buddha statues are located is dated to the 10th century and has been partially reconstructed; it stands on a raised square substructure ( jagati ), which enables ritual circumnavigation ( pradakshina ) and at the same time protects the building from floods and free-range animals.
- A cult hall ( chaitya ) with a Buddha statue in the hand gesture ( mudra ) of invoking the earth ( bhumisparshamudra ) has also been discovered; the foundations of several monk cells ( viharas ) were also exposed.
- A stepwell sunk into the earth is also likely to have been built around the year 1000.
Sculptures
- Several Buddha statues are in a good state of preservation.
- Not uncommon in the late period of Buddhism is a four-armed standing female Bodhisattva figure (probably Tara ) with a chandrasala window immediately next to it.
- Several decorative elements - mostly door frames - show a high level of craftsmanship.
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