A Sacred Odyssey: Tracing Odisha's Ancient Buddhist Temples And Artifacts

For culture enthusiasts, Odisha offers an abundance of distractions. Upon arriving in Bhubaneswar, you're immediately surrounded by the stunning temples of the Ekamra Kshetra, each more ornate than the last. A short distance away, you'll marvel at the small yet magnificent Yogini shrine in Hirapur, which has remained a worship site for centuries. To the south lies the vibrant pilgrimage hub of the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, and nearby, you can admire the sculpted perfection of Konark.

Go beyond the enchanting world beyond the temples, where the artisans of Raghurajpur breathe life into ancient epics with their stunning masterpieces. And if you look at the majestic coastline and the state’s wildlife, another dimension is revealed. Take in the peace pagoda at Dhauli, the site of an Ashokan edict, and the chapter on the Magadha-Kalinga conflict opens.

A Rich Buddhist Past

But if a visitor to this quiet corner of India were to look beyond the obvious, fascinating nuggets emerge from its Buddhist past. To commence the exploration, drive north out of Bhubaneswar, past bustling Cuttack, cross the Mahanadi, and then take a right toward the port of Paradeep.

Having travelled nearly eighty kilometres, not only are the cities and towns left far behind, but so are the teeming millions. You climb a hill, the path flanked by thick vegetation. There may be something slithering in the vegetation, a creature as wary of you as you are of it. And then you reach the summit. And suddenly, find yourself in a site over a thousand years old. Welcome to Lalitgiri!

The Hilltop Monastery Of Lalitgiri

Lalitgiri is perhaps the most interesting Buddhist site in Odisha and has been the subject of numerous archaeological digs. Studies have revealed habitation at this site across a staggering seventeen centuries—a cultural sequence dating from the Mauryan era of the 3rd—4th century BCE to the 13th century CE.

If ever an excavation resembled a treasure hunt, it was at the giant ‘maha-stupa’ on this hill. Archaeologists working at the site found three caskets made of khondalite stone and shaped like small votive stupas. They opened a casket and found a box inside made of steatite. They opened this box and found a second container made of silver. They opened that one and stumbled upon a third and final box made of gold. Inside it was a small piece of bone wrapped in gold leaf. Most historians believe this to be a relic of the Buddha himself, indicating how significant Lalitgiri once was.

The same pattern was also found inside a second relic casket, with the bone inside minus a golden leaf cover. The conclusion is that this relic belongs to one of Buddha’s main disciples. The third casket was missing its inner boxes, leaving behind a mystery that may never be solved. The caskets are now inside a site museum here. That comes as a relief, given the number of antiquities that have either been spirited away or removed to faraway museums where they lie like stragglers of the past.

Lalitgiri is a vast site spread over three hills. The hill on which the maha-stupa was excavated is called the Nanda Pahar, sometimes referred to as Landa. North-east of Nanda Pahar is Parabhadi hill, and to the east is Olasuni. The Nanda Pahar has much more than the maha-stupa. It has other stupas, including dozens of miniature votive ones, monasteries and more. Among the other finds here were gold pendants, silver jewellery, and stone tablets with icons of Ganesha and Mahisasuramardini, as well as Avalokiteshwara and Tara, to name a few.

The long period of habitation by monks, with the area around being governed by different dynasties, meant that varying influences came into the monasteries, too. As a result, Lalitgiri bears indications of the diverse strands of Buddhism–Mahayana, Hinayana, and Vajrayana forms all came in here.

A 1928 study of Parabhadi Hill showed six sculpted statues kept in a space carved out of the rock. Another study, in 1957, showed only three statues remaining. These three, all damaged, now have a home inside the museum on Nanda Pahar. At the summit of Parabhadi hill, a circular stone platform that locals called the throne of a king was discovered.

Parabhadi Hill has long been the site of mining Khondalite stone to beautify the state’s temples, including the iconic one at Puri. The 2023 finding of a gigantic stupa, albeit in ruins, has propelled Parabhadi into the limelight. It has also raised questions about who stone mining here and at nearby Sukhuapada village could have been allowed, given its proximity to the heritage-rich site of Lalitgiri.

Olasuni Hill is devoid of ancient remains, Buddhist or other, but has a fascinating site. Within its crevices is a natural cave, home to an 18th-century local saint, Sant Araksita Das. The saint is long gone, but what remains within is an idol of a four-armed goddess, the Olasuni Thakurani, still in worship.

Ratnagiri: A Center of Buddhist Splendor

A short drive away is Ratnagiri. Visually the most stunning of the Buddhist sites here, it flourished between the 5th and 13th centuries CE. Digs in the 1950s and 60s have brought to light a horde of icons, seals, stupas of all sizes, bronze and brass images, stone icons, and hundreds of small votive stupas, each with a celestial figure carved in a niche. Hundreds of remains are spread all over the hill here.

The focal point is a huge monastery whose elaborately carved gateway has been used by Odisha Tourism as a motif. The pillars flanking the doorway are a mix of blue-green chlorite and khondalite. A Buddha head of immense proportions lies in front of the gateway, making one wonder if it ever sat atop an idol of great stature or was just a head made. Inside the courtyard are several stone cells, each exquisitely carved, perhaps serving as a place for monks to pray in solitude.

Narasimha Baladitya, a Gupta period ruler, is credited with creating Ratnagiri as a sanctuary for monks. Later dynasties added their own structures to the place. A Tibetan text mentions Ratnagiri as a centre of Tantric Buddhism in the 10th century CE.

Udaygiri: The Largest Buddhist Complex In Odisha

Close by is Udaygiri, the largest of the heritage sites in the region, with excavated remains spread over 375 acres. Numerous stupas, chaitya-grahas, and monasteries are spread over several hills. The complex contains several icons of a meditative Buddha, along with depictions of Tara, Manjushri, Avalokiteshwara, and other beings from the Buddhist pantheon. This is not surprising, given that this was the site of the renowned Madhavapura Mahavihara. Another interesting find here is a 10th-century stepwell, indicating that the place served a large population.

Apart from this, the finding of yet another stupa site at the port site of Palur, in Ganjam district, along with ongoing work at Parabhadi, have caused historians to widen their lens on Odisha. It is increasingly evident that these sites were part of a significant trade route used by sea travellers coming via Kalinga and going to kingdoms further inland. It was a route that witnessed the movement of not just people but of faith and ideas. While the three sites of Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udaygiri are collectively termed the state’s Diamond Triangle, these exciting new findings may push Odisha Tourism to seek a new phase for its Buddhist heritage circuit. Maybe it's time for an Odishan Octagon?