The artefacts found at Kesharaipur-Hatikhol village. Telegraph pictures

Jajpur, Aug. 22: The remains of an 8th Century monastery and the idol of a meditating Buddha were unearthed at Kesharaipur-Hatikhol village while workers were digging up the area to lay drains.

The site where the discovery was made is close to the Lalitgiri Buddhist site here.

Buddhist researcher Harischandra Prusty said the idol depicted the lord in Lalitasana posture — one hand holding a long-stemmed lotus and the other raised to give blessings. Buddha is seen wearing bangles and armlets. Several earthen objects of daily use such as bowls, jars with spouts and broken pottery have also been found.

“The stone idol is of Bhurisapta Padmapani, an incarnation of Lord Buddha, and is carved out of khondolite stone. It is 38 inches high and 25 inches wide. As the idol is incomplete, it seems to have been made after the Gupta Age,” said Prusty.

The monastery, discovered very close to the site where the idol was found, is 900 square metres and has four rooms, each of 90 square metres.

“It was probably built in the 8th century under the patronage of a king of the Bhaumakara dynasty,” said Prusty.

“If proper excavation work is carried out on the site by experts, many historical findings might be uncovered which would enrich Buddhist studies.”

Talking about finding the idol, one of the labourers, Rabindra Jena, said: “We were surprised to find the historical artefacts. We had never imagined such precious things lay beneath the earth.”

Jena and the other workers on the site alerted their contractor, who stopped the construction activity. When the news spread, local people thronged the area to catch a glimpse of the rare artefacts.

“It is a matter of pride for us that Buddhist objects have been found here. The district administration will follow up on the unearthed monastery and take up conservation work,” said Jajpur collector Anil Kumar Samal.