Ratnagiri, Udaigiri, Lalitgiri- Buddhist Sites

For a state now at around 97% Hindu, there is little in present-day Orissa that remains from its Buddhist past. The triplet Buddhist sites of Ratnagiri, Udaigiri, and Lalitgiri are some exceptions. Located about 100 km from Bhubaneswar, the drive to these sites is a pleasant day trip. The drive to the Jajpur district of Orissa was both pleasant and beautiful. Encircled by lush paddy fields and rivers, this agricultural region was both peaceful and bustling at the same time. Women were carrying large bundles of grass or firewood on their heads, men were ploughing in the small fields with oxen. Along the sides of the narrow road, cut grass was being dried; a nearly impossible obstacle for vehicles. Cow dung cakes were also being dried right on the roads. Cows, water buffalo, goats, and sheep also competed for road space, sometimes accompanied by herders.

My first destination was Ratnagiri, was a major Buddhist monastery and university dating back to 5^th century AD. It is located on a small hill overlooking vast plains and distant green hills. Excavations, first done between 1957 and 1960 reveal two large monasteries, one of which holds beautiful doorways, a cella sanctum, large stupa, Buddhist shrines, sculptures, and a massive Buddha. Rather plain-looking from the outside, the interior walls of the monastery revealed some beautiful carved statues. Some were carved into niches. Others were on large slabs, propped up against a wall in the central courtyard. Tiny monk’s cells also contained decorations. My favorite part was the superbly carved entrance doorway. Like the Surya Sun Gods at Konark, the doorway was of a contrasting stone – perhaps the same greenish chlorite stone was used. Decorations were organic and fluid, interspersed with some figures. While many of the small rooms were empty, one revealed a treat – a 4m high image of the seated Buddha, accompanied by other Buddhist divinities.   Walking on the grass around the many stupas, one could see pieces of carved rock everywhere. Peaking through the ground was the curled hair of a Buddha head. How much more must be below the surface!

The taxi then took me to Udaigiri “Sunrise Hill,” 6 km south of Ratnagiri. It still is being excavated, currently containing a rather large brick stupa with a rather intact form, two monasteries, and a number of carved sculptures. The carvings date back from between the 2^nd century BC to the 10^th century AD. The brick buildings were likely built around the 7^th century AD. The layout of the monastery was very similar to that in Ratnagiri. Once again, my favorite was the carvings around a doorway. While peeking into one of the roofless rooms to make sure no sculptures were to be seen, I was surprised by the presence of a yellow snake.

Our last destination was Lalitgiri “Hill of Grace,” about 10 km south of Udaigiri. It is believed to be the oldest Buddhist complex in Orissa, dating back to the 1^st century AD. Here, one can find a huge brick monastery, remains of a Shaitya hall, and quite a few stupas. The walk up to the main site was quite pleasant, the dirt road shaded by trees on both sides. Overall, less remained here of the walls, in some places only the foundations remained. A few slab sculptures and one seated Buddha sculpture was left amongst the ruins, while the majority of excavated items were housed in an on-site museum. Also on the property was a large stupa with a series of steps leading up to the top. From here, one had a great view of the green, countryside. As we left the site, we passed by some stone carvers, keeping alive the great tradition.

See more photos of the three Buddhist sites on my Flickr page

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