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The monuments unearthed at Lalitagiri are unique. The most important
edifice of the Lalitagiri complex so far discovered are the ruins of
an apsidal temple located in a strategic place surrounded by
monasteries and stupas. These temples were constructed near Mathura
and Taxila as well as on the Udayagiri hill near Bhubaneswar around
the second century BC. Iconographically, Lalitagiri sculptures
resemble Java and Southeast Asian prototypes. The Buddhist images at
Lalitagiri are gigantic. Curling lips, dangling ears, elongated
faces and sloping foreheads are some of the outstanding
iconographical features of these Buddhist images.
Ratnagiri and Udayagiri belong to a
much later phase. Ratnagiri is separated from Udayagiri by the river
Kimiria. It is said that Ratnagiri and Udayagiri were the nucleus of
tantric Buddhism and it was from here that Buddhism spread to other
parts of India and the world. The antiquity of tantric tradition in
Orissa is corroborated by the discovery of a fragmented stone
inscription containing a Buddha tantra, which on Paleographic
grounds, can be dated to the sixth century AD. In the seventh
century AD, its importance as the center of Vajra Yana was
considerable enough to attract Saharapada, the high priest of
Nalanda, who became one of the first gurus to preach the tantra
doctrine openly to the laity. From Orissa, Mahasidha Saraha traveled
to Maharashtra and is given credit for introducing the Tantra Yana
to Ellora and western India.
The excavation at Ratnagiri has
revealed the remains of an imposing stupa, two quadrangular
monasteries, a single winged monastery, eight temples, a large
number of small stupas, sculptures, and architectural pieces
indicative of an establishment that can be compared with the major
Buddhist sites in the world. The site also yielded a rich crop of
antiquities. Particularly noteworthy are the bronze and stone images
of the Buddha and a host of idols of the Buddhist pantheon. A large
head of the Buddha found on top the hill indicates the colossal
nature of the original images. The artist has wonderfully reflected
the inner mediation on the face by such devices as half open eyes.
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