Kendrapada: Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra recently met Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi and submitted a detailed representation seeking the formal inclusion of Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, and Lalitgiri, collectively known as the "Diamond Triangle," in the national Buddhist Circuit framework and related tourism initiatives. The minister assured him of a favorable decision soon.
Strengthening Cultural Diplomacy
Patra emphasized that including Odisha within the national Buddhist tourism framework would strengthen India's cultural diplomacy, complement the Act East Policy, and promote balanced heritage tourism development across the country. During the meeting on Tuesday, Patra highlighted Odisha's immense contribution to India's Buddhist civilizational heritage.
World Heritage Site Potential
"The famous Buddhist sites of Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udayagiri in Jajpur district and nearby areas are fit to be designated as World Heritage Sites. The excavation of numerous Buddha idols, stupas, and monasteries in these sites is not only historically significant but also reveals the artistic excellence and iconographic know-how of the Buddhist era," said Patra.
Udayagiri Monastery
The Udayagiri monastery, flanked by a U-shaped hill almost identical to Ratnagiri, was excavated in 1986. Its gateway consists of two stone slabs supporting a third as a lintel, with perpendicular pillars. Idols of Buddha, Amitabha, Avalokiteswar, Vrjesane Buddha, and Kurukulla were unearthed at Udayagiri, said Dr. Patra.
Lalitgiri Excavations
Lalitgiri in Cuttack district was first brought to notice by Chandrasekhar Banerjee in 1869, leading to subsequent documentation by R.P. Chanda in 1927-28. Considering its archaeological importance, the ancient vestiges were declared centrally protected in 1937. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted excavations from 1985 to 1991, revealing the remains of a massive stupa on a hilltop and an apsidal Chaitya Griha with a circular stupa at the western end, the first of its kind in Odisha, said Patra.
Ratnagiri: The Hill of Jewels
The archaeological treasures of Ratnagiri, known as the "Hill of Jewels," were first noticed by M.M. Chakravarty in 1905. Extensive excavations by the ASI between 1958 and 1961 brought to light the remains of a magnificent Buddhist establishment consisting of a stupa, monastic complexes, shrines, votive stupas, a myriad of sculptures, architectural fragments, and other antiquities, said Patra.
Pushpagiri University
"Also, located on Langudi, Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udayagiri hills, Pushpagiri University, an ancient Buddhist center of higher learning in the Kalinga region, functioned from the 2nd to 11th centuries CE and was visited by Chinese traveler Xuanzang," said Patra.
