Kalinga war was : A short note on Asoka

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http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2220/stories/20051007000106500.htm

 

ARCHAEOLOGY

 

Exploring an ancient kingdom

 

PRAFULLA DAS

in Bhubaneswar

 

Buddhist relics unearthed during recent excavations in Jajpur district

of Orissa lead scholars to identify Radhanagar as the capital of the

ancient kingdom of Kalinga.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

 

A rock-cut elephant found during the excavations.

 

ORISSA is already known for its rich Buddhist heritage. Now its

importance in ancient history is all set to mount. Experts believe

that the recent discovery of Buddhist relics by archaeologists of the

Orissa Institute of Maritime and South-East Asian Studies can solve

many unanswered questions pertaining to the location of the capital of

Kalinga, the Buddha's visit to the ancient kingdom, and Emperor

Asoka's work in the land where he fought a bloody battle in 261 B.C.,

known as the Battle of Kalinga.

 

 

 

A pillar bearing floral designs, at Deuli.

 

Buddhist stupas, inscriptions, pottery and terracotta remains dating

back to the third century B.C. have been dug up in Dharmasala block of

Orissa's Jajpur district. The area is close to the well-known

Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri Buddhist complex. The excavations were

carried out after obtaining a licence from the Archaeological Survey

of India (ASI). Epigraphists of the ASI had deciphered the

inscriptions and confirmed the findings, said State Culture Minister

Damodar Rout.

 

" The excavation led to an amazing discovery in the field of ancient

history, which could solve many puzzles of Indian history in general

and Orissa history in particular, and may add new chapters in the

annals of history, " a beaming Rout said while announcing the findings

recently.

 

Debraj Pradhan, Secretary of the Institute and director of the

excavation project, said that the excavations had brought to light the

fort of Tosali, the royal headquarters of Kalinga, at Radhanagar

village in Dharmasala. The Asoka rock-edicts near the Dhauli hills

near Bhubaneswar say that Tosali was the royal headquarters of Kalinga

during the time of Asoka. But Tosali had not been identified till

date. Though scholars tried to identify Tosali with Sisupalgarh near

Bhubaneswar, no inscriptional evidence to buttress the arguments could

be found.

 

 

 

A pendant found in Radhanagar. It has 'Tisa' inscribed on one side.

Tisa was a brother of Asoka who stayed back in Kalinga after the great

battle and, like his illustrious sibling, embraced Buddhism.

 

" The unearthing of several inscriptions and other corroborative

evidence clearly proves that Radhanagar was the capital city of

Tosali,'' Pradhan said. A senior ASI expert has deciphered the

inscriptions as `Tosali Nagara', `Tosali Nagar' and `Tosali', and they

are datable to the third and second century B.C.

 

The inscriptions tell the tale of a lost era. One of them says:

`Kalinga rajna go'. Unfortunately, the remaining portion of the

potsherd, which might have revealed the name of the Kalinga king,

could not be retrieved. Experts now believe that the name of the

Kalinga king during the Kalinga war might have started with `Go' or `Gu'.

 

The recent findings may also lead to the tracing of the exact venue of

the Kalinga war. Yuddha Meruda in Korei block near Dharmasala seems to

be the place where the historic battle between the forces of Asoka and

the king of Kalinga was fought. Yuddha Meruda, a vast expanse of land

on the bank of the Brahmani, seems to fit the descriptions of the

battle. Until now, it was widely believed that the battle was fought

on the banks of the river Daya on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

 

 

Archaeologists are excited over the uncovering of the actual site of

the Kalinga battle because Yuddha Meruda is not very far from Radhanagar.

 

From the archaeologists' point of view, what is significant is that

all the 10 Asoka stupas have been discovered within a radius of 10 km.

This matches with the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang's accounts (A.D.

629-645), which say that the Buddha had visited the region where Asoka

constructed 10 stupas.

 

Excavation work is in progress at Langudi, Tarapur, Kayama and Deuli.

Excavations will also be carried out in Neulpur, Kantigadia and

Vajragiri to unearth the remaining stupas.

 

 

 

Terracotta potsherds found among the ruins in Radhanagar.

 

The ancient texts say that Emperor Asoka constructed these stupas to

commemorate the Buddha's visit and preaching.

 

The current excavation has led to the unearthing of square stupas made

of laterite blocks, burnt bricks, railing pillars, cross-bars and so

on. Besides, pottery and terracotta remains of the Asoka period have

been found in these hills.

 

 

 

Earrings found among the ruins in Radhanagar.

 

The excavation at Tarapur has led to the identification of the Kesa

stupa. It has also been discovered that the stupa was built with a

donation from Bhikhu Tapusa. The Buddhist texts say that the Kesa

stupa is the earliest stupa. Two pillars, discovered at the site,

carry the inscriptions `Kesa Thupa' and `Bheku Tapusa Danam'.

 

According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, two merchants from

Ukkala, on their way to Madhyadesa with 500 carts, met the Buddha on

the last day of the seventh week after his enlightenment at Bodhgaya.

They offered him rice-cake and honey. The Buddha gave them eight

handfuls of his hair, which they later deposited in a stupa in their

native Ukkala. The stupa came to be known as Kesa stupa (kesa meaning

`hair'). It is now presumed that the place was a centre of attraction

as early as the lifetime of the Buddha and that the Buddha visited the

locality on the invitation of Tapusa and Bhallika, his first disciples.

 

Asoka might have chosen to construct 10 stupas in and around Tarapur

as the Kesa stupa constructed by Tapusa during the sixth or fifth

century B.C. possessed strands of Buddha's hair. Another reason was

easy riverine communication, surrounded as the place was by rivers

such as the Brahmani, the Kelua and the Sagadia.

 

 

 

The remains of a stupa at Deuli.

 

In one of the railing pillars found at Kesa stupa, the word

`Kalingaraja' is inscribed. The pillar is broken and the remaining

part of the name of the king is missing. The Kalinga monarch was

probably a Buddhist and he might have made some endowment to the Kesa

stupa, Pradhan said.

 

In another railing pillar, the inscription in Oriya is `Gupata

Khandagiri Parikshya', meaning `secret Khandagiri where experiments

are made'. Five great poets in 15th and 16th centuries have vividly

described the sacredness of Gupta Khandagiri, Pradhan pointed out.

 

 

 

Rock-cut bench found in the Kayama hills.

 

The excavation at Kayama hill, on the right bank of the Kelua river,

towards the north of the great fort of Tosali, has resulted in a

series of discoveries. The rock-cut elephant at Kayama is a unique

piece of Kalinga art and was probably erected by Tisa, the brother of

Asoka who stayed back in Kalinga after the war. The anatomical

features of the elephant are perfectly to the scale.

 

The name `Tisa' is also inscribed on a rock-cut bench situated towards

the north of the Kayama elephant. Tisa, who became a Buddhist, desired

to stay in Kalinga with his preceptor Dharmarakhita. Asoka constructed

a Vihara, named Bhojakagiri, for his brother.

 

 

 

Remains of pillars found at Tarapur.

 

A royal pendant found at Radhanagar has the name Tisa inscribed on it.

The pendant, made of semi-precious stone and rectangular in shape, has

`Sadabhu Tisa' written on one side and the figures of the sun and the

moon, a Swastika and the Buddhist symbol on the other sides. The

pendant is considered to be a unique symbol of a royal personage who

believed in all faiths.

 

The Orissa Culture Department may be thrilled over the uncovering of

the Buddhist heritage, but it is yet to get its act together on saving

the relics from plunderers. In recent years, the Buddhist heritage in

the district has faced threats from local contractors who carry out

illegal quarrying in the hills, to extract red soil and stones that

are used for laying asphalt on roads and for building houses.

 

 

 

Burnt bricks found in the Kayama hills.

 

The local administration, despite efforts from time to time, has not

been able to keep the plunderers at bay. The authorities have to take

the matter seriously to ensure that the rich Buddhist heritage is

protected. Maybe the government should declare the area protected.