Udayagiri ( Odia: ଉଦୟଗିରି) is the largest

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

complex in the Indian state of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

. It is composed of major stupas and monasteries ( viharas). Together with the nearby complexes of Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri, it is part of the "Diamond Triangle" of the "Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri" complex. It used to be thought that one or all of these were the

Pushpagiri Vihara Pushpagiri ( Odia: ପୁଷ୍ପଗିରି) was an ancient Indian mahavihara or monastic complex located atop Langudi Hill (or Hills) in Jajpur district of Odisha, India. Pushpagiri was mentioned in the writings of the Chinese traveller ...

known from ancient records, but this has now been convincingly located at a different site. Per epigraphical artifacts found at the site, Udayagiri's historical name was "Madhavapura Mahavihara." This Buddhist complex, preceded by the Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri sites, with their monasteries, is believed to have been active between the 7th and the 12th centuries.

Location

Udayagiri is situated in the foothills, to the north-east from

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...

, and north-east of

Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literally ...

in Jajpur district. As the crow flies, Ratnagiri and Udaygiri are about 11 km apart, and both about 7 km from Lalitgiri. The site now recognised as Puspagiri is some 18 km distant from Udaygiri, the closest to it of the "triangle" sites.

Findings

Numerous excavations by the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...

(ASI) have been conducted at Udayagiri since 1958. The Udayagiri Site 1, the first site to be excavated, is in a depression between two valleys. In the excavations done during the period between 1985–86 and 1989–90, at the Udayagiri Site 2, the antiquities exposed consisted of a Buddhist Monastic complex enclosed within a compound wall, including a stupa of height with four images of dhyani Buddhas fixed at its four cardinal points. On the basis of the epigraphical evidence archaeologist have inferred that this site is "Madhavapura Mahavihara". During the large excavation from 1997 to 2000, a second part of Udayagiri-2 was discovered with additional stupas and monasteries. These antiquities consist of two eighth century monastic complexes, statues of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

, Tara,

Manjusri Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumāra ...

Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...

, Jatamukuta Lokesvara and many

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

(earthenware) seals. A stepped stone well with epigraphic inscriptions has also been discovered. Also seen near one of the entry gates at the site is a human figure swinging on a rope, with eyes closed, in a state of perfect happiness. During the recent investigations conducted between 2001 and 2004 the antiquities unearthed included a stone finish flooring in the foreground of the excavated monastery, the main drain of the monastery flowing out to the north, a large stone raised platform in size built in seven layers with ashlar masonry accessed through a series of steps, and marked in its northern end by a chandrashila (moon rock). Also found were

apsidal In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

chaitya-grihas (an old one replaced by another built in brick) facing east with a stupa diefied in it, built with stone and bricks, founded on the raised platform, and remnants of stone

jali A ''jali'' or jaali (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectural d ...

embellished with the theme of a three-hooked

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

inferred as

gavaksha In Indian architecture, gavaksha or chandrashala (''kudu'' in Tamil, also nāsī) are the terms most often used to describe the motif centred on an ogee, circular or horseshoe arch that decorates many examples of Indian rock-cut architecture and ...

s (horse-shoe arches). Udayagiri Buddhist Complex, Orissa ei4-06

Images of Tara in the form of Tara Kurukulla or Kurukulla Tara have been reported from Udayagiri and also from Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri; these are an emanation form of Amitābha seated in a

lalitasana Lalitasana is a pose or mudra in Indian art and the art of dharmic religions in other countries. It is often called "the royal position" or "royal ease" in English, and is a relaxed pose typical in royal portraits and those of religious fig ...

posture. Images of

Hariti Hārītī (Sanskrit), also known as , ja, text=鬼子母神, translit=Kishimojin, is both a revered goddess and demon, depending on the Buddhist tradition. She is one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities of Mahayana Buddhism. In her posit ...

have been found in Udayagiri and also in Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri. This image portrays the goodess in a seated position breast feeding a child or with the child seated on its lap. Hariti was once a child abductor, but Buddha persuaded her to become the protector of children. Also seen in the western, southern and northern parts of the chaitya-griha are remnants of a number of stupas in three groups, built in stone with only their plain plinths seen in a preserved state. An important discovery in the precincts of the chaitya-griha, is of statues of Avalokiteswara,

Tathāgata Tathāgata () is a Pali word; Gautama Buddha uses it when referring to himself or other Buddhas in the Pāli Canon. The term is often thought to mean either "one who has thus gone" (''tathā-gata''), "one who has thus come" (''tathā-āgata''), o ...

, Bhikruti-Tara and Chunda embedded in niches, marking the four cardinal points. Other findings are of 14 stupas (built in brick with mud mortar) dated between the 1st and 12th centuries, and also many 5th- to 13th-century epigraphs. Votive stupas, made of stone, are also seen along a stone paved path. At the eastern part of the chaitya-griha are residential houses consisting of six rooms with artifacts of domestic goods. Though located only away from Ratnagiri, the site has not revealed any artifacts which could provide a link to the

Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

tantric cult found at Ratnagiri.

Gallery

Image:Stupas of Udayagiri.jpg, Stupas of Udayagiri Buddhist complex, Odisha Image:Udayagiri monastery site.jpg Image:Buddhist remains from Udayagiri.jpg Image:Main Buddha in Udayagiri monasteries complex.jpg

References

Bibliography

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External links