Rajgir, June 8 :
Rajgir, June 8:
Archaeologists claim to have discovered the largest stupa in the world. The stone structure, built by King Ajatasatru, is mentioned in ancient Buddhist texts and in the accounts of foreign travellers but was buried in the sands of time for thousands of years.
Stupas were built over the relics of Lord Buddha after his death in 483 BC in Kushinagar. The relics were divided into eight categories and as many stupas were built by the Licchavi kings and by Ajatasatru - who belonged to the Haryanka dynasty of Magadh and had his capital in Rajgir.
Ajatasatru, who died circa 462 BC, is believed to have met Buddha and had patronised Buddhism. He is said to have begged forgiveness for killing his father Bimbisara and ascending the throne of Magadh. Ajatasatru, who, according to some historians, was a follower of Jainism initially, became influenced by Buddha and his teachings.
According to sources in the archaeological survey, the stupa built in Rajgir by Ajatasatru had remained untraced. The Mahaparinirvansutta, a book on the life of Lord Buddha, mentions the stupa, built of brick, and says that its location is somewhere in Rajgir. The stupa is mentioned even in the accounts of foreign travellers like Fa Hien, who has talked of the structure in detail. But till recently, archaeologists believed that the stupa might have been located somewhere in the northern side of the city.
But they abandoned hope after extensive excavations yielded a stone structure. There was no doubt about the stupa being built of brick since Atma Katha , another authentic source of Buddhist stupas, says the structure was brick-made. A search began on the southern side only after this. On the southeastern side of Rajgir town, which had been covered with thick forest, the history-diggers saw a flat land flanked by mounds.
Survey experts, who were working on the possible location of the stupa, decided to excavate this area in 1997. Soon a structure emerged, raising hopes among the excavators.
The structure that has now been unearthed is made of bricks and has two terraces measuring 29 metres by 25 metres. On the top terrace, a structure has been found that matches the description given in Jivakamravana, an ancient Buddhist text. 'Although some of the relics were in a broken state, they seem to be authentic. The fact that it was made of brick lends credence to its authenticity,' said K.K. Muhammad, superintendent of the Archaeological survey in Patna.
The area where the relic is located was to have been taken over by the Indian Railways for track expansion. The mounds that surround the stupa were supposed to have been levelled for the purpose. 'It was a matter of time. We are lucky that we acted swiftly and asked the railways to leave aside that part of the land,' said an archaeologist.
Along with the stupa, archaeologists have also discovered tools which, they said, could date back to the palaeolithic age. If so, the history of Rajgir will have to be pushed back by several centuries and the town could be established as one of the ancient cradles of human civilisation. Some historians believe that Rajgir was earlier called Vasumati. Vasu, the fourth son of Brahma, is said to have lived in Rajgir and hence the name.