Patna, Dec. 25 :    Patna, Dec. 25:  India and Nepal are locked in a tussle over Gautam Buddha's legacy with Kathmandu asserting that contrary to Indian claims, young Siddhartha grew up in a village in the Himalayan kingdom. This long-standing dispute between Indian and Nepali archaeologists may soon be settled if the findings at Tilaurakot in Nepal are accepted by international scholars over the claims of Indian specialists. Indian archaeologists, led by K.M. Srivastava, hold that Gautam was born in Lumbini Park but brought up in Pipprahawa village, known during Buddha's time as Kapilavastu. Indian archaeologists, who excavated the village in the Seventies, found inscriptions and remains of stupas of Kapilavastu. The Indian theory, though accepted by Sri Lanka, did not get much intellectual support from Nepal. Relying on Buddhist scriptures gathered from China, Nepal's archaeologists teamed up with Robin Coningham of Bradford University, Britain, to reopen the mounds of history in Tilaurakot a few months ago. They claim to have stumbled on interesting revelations on the early life of Gautam spent there. They argue that the earlier Indian theory was not based on facts. Fragments of painted bowls, believed to date back to Gautam's time, crucibles in terracotta, furnaces and pottery beads have been recovered from Tilaurakot. The team has also spotted Hellenistic-style grid layout and remains of huge brick structures, described as belonging to the first and second centuries AD. The archaeologists are optimistic about finding remains of the first-ever monastery, the foundation stone of which might have been laid by Buddha himself. With these findings, Tilaurakot, about 10 km from Pipprahawa, has attracted the interest of specialists. Some members of the team visited Gaya, Patna and Pipprahawa in September to make a comparative assessment of the new findings, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sources said. Coningham has recently submitted a tentative report on the findings to Nepal's archaeology department headed by Kosh Acharya. Talking to The Telegraph, a Nepal government spokesman said: 'The new excavations have offered us a chance to settle a dispute on which exactly was the town where Buddha grew up. We are excited by the findings.' The findings may fuel renewed international interest in the cultural, religious, social and economic forces that moulded Gautam Buddha's philosophy of non-violence and simple living. But Indian archaeologists are sceptical. K.K. Mohammad, superintendent of ASI's Patna circle, said: 'We are not sure. Let the new research come up with clinching evidence. We are not bothered either. India has to look after so much of the great prophet's legacy. History is already by our side.' Interestingly, the first excavations in this direction in the mid-Sixties were at Tilaurakot under the supervision of former ASI director-general Devala Mitra. But she reportedly abandoned the project for lack of evidence. 'Our excavations in Pipprahawa, on the other hand, showed promise from the beginning. It earned good response from a section of experts too,' recalled D.P. Sinha, who had participated in the project and is now with the Patna circle of the ASI. Emboldened by the findings, the archaeologists across the border have stepped up a campaign to establish that Buddha grew up in Tilaurakot and not in Pipprahawa. They say further research can reveal the exact time when Gautam lived. Till now, it is believed that Buddha might have lived somewhere between the fifth and seventh century BC. If Nepal can establish that Buddha was brought up there, it could be a blow to the proposed circuit of places of interest for Buddhists in India that was being planned to boost tourism. Nepal may take away a chunk of foreign tourists who visit India annually.