Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Nearly 90 years after its potential as a site of archaeological importance was first discovered, Vaishya Tekri is set to be excavated again. The mound located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, dates back to the time when Ashoka was the governor of Avanti, before he became emperor of Magadh. Archaeologists are convinced the mound has a Buddhist stupa in it, which in all probability is bigger than the stupa in Sanchi—a world heritage site.
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The findings could add value to Ujjain as a centre of not just Hindu pilgrimage but also one for Buddhists, besides putting it on the international tourist map in the same way as Sanchi.
Around 90 years ago, a team of archaeologists from the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior carried out studies in the region and ascertained that the mound had a stupa underneath. Based on excavations carried out by Superintendent Archaeologist M.B. Garde of the Gwalior state, it was confirmed that the stupa at Vaishya Tekri had a base of around 350 feet and a height of 100 feet. For reference, the Sanchi stupa is 54 feet at its highest point.
The 90-year-old findings have curiously just now woken up the government to discovering this heritage. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, additional chief secretary, culture, Madhya Pradesh, has written to the Union culture secretary asking for support from the Centre in excavating the site. It is a protected site under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), but around 15 hectares of private land around it would need to be acquired at a cost of Rs 40 crore for excavations.
What is the archaeological significance of the site, besides that it probably has a stupa bigger than the Sanchi one? “There need not be a comparison between Sanchi and the site in Ujjain,” says Nayanjot Lahiri, professor of history at Ashoka University. “Past excavations have yielded large bricks, which suggests that the structure in Ujjain is from the Mauryan period, but this stupa may not have the stone splendour we see in Sanchi.”
The comparisons notwithstanding, an excavation at Vaishya Tekri and around it is likely to throw up other historically interesting findings, too. Not surprising, given that the area has seen significant findings emerge from the Mauryan period, and even older eras. “Smaller stupas and remains of 32 skeletons were found during the Gwalior state excavations,” says Shivkant Bajpai, superintendent archaeologist of the ASI’s Madhya Pradesh circle. “The skeletons are in the Anthropological Survey of India museum in Kolkata.”
According to Lahiri, there could be links between Ujjain and Pataliputra that predate the Mauryan period. “Jivika, the ancient healer based in Rajgriha, was requisitioned to Ujjain for treating the ruler, before the Mauryans,” she says.
The stupa under the mound could safely be dated to circa 3rd century BCE, on the basis of Ashoka’s association with Ujjain. Buddhist sources suggest Ashoka had been appointed governor of Avanti, with its capital in Ujjain. He married Devi, the daughter of a merchant from Vidisha, and she likely played a role in the construction of the stupa in Ujjain, in much the same way she did in Sanchi. The name ‘Vaishya Tekri’ is linked to the business community she hailed from.
Over the years, Ujjain has seen a massive increase in religious tourism due to the Mahakal and other temples in the town. A stupa bigger than the Sanchi one could place Ujjain on the international tourism map, making it a popular destination for Buddhists from Japan and other south east Asian countries.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
