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| The rock arts recovered from Kaima hill in Jajpur. Telegraph pictures |
Jajpur, Oct. 26: Pillars with inscriptions believed to be of the Ganga era (13th century) have been discovered at Dharmasala here, which is known for its Buddhist heritage.
The pillars were unearthed from the foothills of the Kaima, a hill that houses many Buddhist monuments, including rock-cut caves, elephant and a stupa.
The inscriptions are on one side of the pillars that were recently discovered by noted Buddhist scholar Nrusingha Charan Sahu.
“I was strolling around the Kaima hill, when I came across the artefacts lying near an abandoned well. I found 11 stone pillars with inscriptions on them. Each of them is 24 inches long and 10 to 12 inches broad. They are made of red Khandolite stone,” said Sahu, adding that he would like scholars such as B.N. Mukherjee and N.N. Swami to be engaged for further study of the inscription.
Jajpur collector Anil Kumar Samal said the district administration would take necessary steps for more research on the pillars. The Kaima is situated on the right bank of the Kelua river, a branch of the Brahmani.
The rock-cut elephant found on the hill is a piece of Kalinga art and was probably carved out by Tisa, the brother of Asoka, who stayed back in Kalinga after the Kalinga war. It also houses some rock-cut benches near the elephant.
The name Tisa is inscribed on the benches. Five caves called Varsabasa are situated around the hill. Buddhist monks used to stay in the caves during the rains, said Sahu, adding that so far, no pillars with inscriptions referring to the Ganga dynasty had been discovered in the area.