ASI starts excavation to further unearth remnants of Vikramasila Mahavihara

Patna/Bhagalpur: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has started excavation work to further unearth remnants of Vikramasila Mahavihara, the celebrated university founded by Pala king Dharmapala in late 8th or early 9th Century AD, at Antichak village in Bihar's Bhagalpur district after a gap of almost 42 years.

The Vikramasila Mahavihara University prospered for about four centuries before it collapsed in the beginning of the 13th Century AD.

"Earlier, the meticulous excavation at the site conducted by the ASI (1972-82) revealed a huge square monastery with a cruciform stupa in its centre, a library building and cluster of votive stupas", said Superintending Archaeologist, ASI Patna Circle, Goutami Bhattacharya.

"Now, we have started our excavation from February 8 onwards. Right now we are in the process of cleaning the earlier excavation trenches. We are removing the dumped soil and trying to reach the undisturbed cultural horizons from where we can start systematic excavation", Bhattacharya told PTI.

The site was earlier excavated (before 1982) by Dr B S Verma under the Vikramshila excavation project, she added.

The excavation of the site in Bhagalpur has started under the supervision of Jalaj Kumar Tiwari, Assistant Superintending Archaeologist, ASI-Patna. It was one of the three most important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala empire, along with Nalanda and Odantapuri.

Vikramasila was one of the largest Buddhist universities having more than a hundred teachers and about one thousand students. It produced eminent scholars who were often invited by foreign countries to spread Buddhist learning, culture and religion.

"The monastery, which was found during earlier excavation, is a huge square structure. A few brick arched underground chambers beneath some of the cells had also been noticed which were probably meant for confined meditation by the monks.

"The main stupa built for the purpose of worship is a brick structure laid in mud mortar and stands in the centre of the square monastery. This two-terraced stupa is cruciform on plan and about 15 metres high from the ground level accessible through a flight of steps on the north side", said Bhattacharya.

The Superintending Archaeologist said, "The result of the excavations, no doubt, pinpointed the site as the actual remains of the once famous Vikramasila mahavihira. Now, the fresh excavation will reveal many important pieces of information regarding the long chequered history of the Mahavihira... excavations of this site may also yield some more important inscriptions engraved on stone slabs, which may throw more light on the history of the Mahavihara".