BHUBANESWAR: Udayagiri, one of the three ancient Buddhist complexes that make up the Diamond Triangle of Odisha, will soon get a state-of-art museum.The state wing of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has decided to set up the museum over an area of 40,000 sq ft close to the site.
The facility will serve the twin purpose of protecting and preserving the large number of retrieved antiquities besides boosting tourism. ASI Puri Circle head Dibishada Brajasundar Garnayak informed that over 2,000 antiquities excavated and found from the Udayagiri Buddhist complex will be displayed in the museum which will be organised into six galleries.
“What will set the Udayagiri museum apart from those at Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri is that it will also have a gallery for children, an auditorium, souvenir shop and cafeteria among others. It will showcase the growth of Buddhism and socio-economic development of the area,” he said.
Archaeologists said that Udayagiri, also known as the ‘Hill of the Rising Sun’, is important because it is the largest in the Buddhist complex triad of the state. The entire complex is divided into Udayagiri 1 and 2 comprising Madhavpura Mahavihar and the Simhaprastha Mahavihar.
At Madhavpura Mahavihar (Udayagiri-1), there is a massive Mahastupa (main stupa) along with Chaitya Griha (prayer hall), votive stupas (stupas erected on fulfilment of a wish) and commemorative stupa (erected in memory of a monk with his relics). The Simhaprastha Mahavihar (Udayagiri-2) houses the ruins of the monasteries and the meditation chambers and beautifully carved statues.
“We have finalised the site and design of the museum and work on it will start subsequently. This will be a modern museum with something for all age groups,” Garnayak said.