BHUBANESWAR : The ongoing excavation at Ratnagiri Buddhist site in Jajpur district by the Archaeological Survey of India has uncovered some priceless relics.
A monolithic elephant, fragments of Buddhist deities, votive stupas and more have been excavated from the Ratnagiri site which lies on a hill between Brahmani and Birupa rivers.
According to officials, among the most striking finds is a broken monolithic elephant, an imposing structure measuring five feet in length and over 3.5 feet in height.
The excavation has also yielded Buddhist treasures including a colossal Buddha head, sculptural fragments of Buddhist deities, monolithic and masonry votive stupas along with an assortment of brick and stone structures and collection of ceramics. The excavation started in the first week of December.
The site was last excavated from 1958 to 1961 by the ASI under the guidance of eminent archaeologist Debala Mitra. She had then dated the nucleus of the site to 5th century CE and development continued till 12th century CE. The site witnessed its decline with the Muslim invaders during the 13th century CE but the activities at the site continued till 16th century CE. Mitra had compared the Buddhist establishment at Ratnagiri to that of Nalanda.