Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669

Tourism Prospective of Smart City Bhubaneswar on Buddhist Cultural Heritage

Dr. Anam Behera

Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical science limelight by way of exploration and excavation. artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or Though these sites are earlier mentioned by N.K society that are inherited from past generations, Sahu, R.P. Mahapatra and others, were not maintained in the present and bestowed for the publicized widely about their potentiality as benefit of future generations. Tangible cultural heritage sites and tourism possibilities. Due to this heritage includes buildings, historic places lacuna public awareness is in its zero level. Rays monuments, work of art and artifacts. Cultural of hope raise to have a Buddhist circuit in the heritage is an expression of the way of living Bhubaneswar with announcement of honorable developed by community and passed on from minister. According to Shri Ashok Chandra Panda generation to generation including customs, the then tourism minister, Government of Odisha, practices, artistic expression and values, it can with direct international flight starting from be tangible or intangible cultural heritage. Bhubaneswar to Kuala Lumpur the state is now Bhubaneswar being a smart city attracts attention focusing on promoting Buddhist tourism in the of people across the world. This is the only city state. The much awaited connectivity to Kuala of India selected for competition in the smart city Lumpur will bring Odisha in the Buddhist tourism of the world. Besides Bhubaneswar has many map, especially South Asian and South East Asian distinction in its name. The outskirt of the city bears countries. Odisha Tourism has also proposed the testimony of the Asokan inscription at Dhauli a100 crore project for developing the Buddhist dated to 3rd century B.C., Sisupalgarh dated to circuit of Odisha under the Swadesh Darshan 3rd century B.C to 4th Century A.D, Khandagiri scheme of Central Government.1 The construction Udayagiri Jain monument belong to period of of the Peace Pagoda at Dhauli by Buddhist Kharavel dated to 1st century B.C and temples Nippon society, in 1972 helps a lot for the within the urban area of old town paves the way development of tourism. If there would be for Bhubaneswar to be known as temple city of Archaeological excavation and construction of India. These temples are representing its evolution new structure along with other tourism related from early, formative and mature phases, infrastructure at Aragada, Kirkimundia and extending 6th century A.D to 12th century A.D. Labanagiri, then these Buddhist heritage sites on Very recently many heritage sites have come to the Daya valley will be another Buddhist circuit

JANUARY - 2020 39 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review in the tourism map of Odisha like Diamond laterite stone of 1.45 meters and thickness of the triangle –Lalitagiri, Ratanagiri and Udayagiri on wall is 1.45meter. It is not arranged properly and the Chitrotapala river belt.2 symmetrically. It is believed that the subsequent secondary construction was made out of the On the Aragarh hill the fragmentary material of the original structure. Thus the entire Buddhist sculptures such as votive stapes, large floor is divided into two parts by wall, the floor is number of railing posts along with fragmented paved with laterite stone in western portion, Buddhist image scattered around the double whereas the remaining part in eastern side is storey Buddhist temple. The lower one is rock without pave. A small portion like half moon shape cut and upper one is structural. To the north of of original structure is visible below the secondary the rock cut temple there is a large burial mound. construction in west side.11.50 meters of original Beneath the mound there is a structure may be a structure with apsidal end having nine pillar (all Buddhist stupa.3After excavation at Argarh by are broken) in its edge is visible in eastern side. Odishan Institute of Maritime and South East The remaining pillars are covered under the Asian Study, Culture Department, Government secondary construction. It is evident from the of Odisha in 2016, the earlier assumption came northern side where two pillars are covered with true. Presently work is going on. No doubt this the laterite wall which was constructed later on. site would be one of the best Buddhist heritage So it is clear that the entire edge of the elliptical as well as tourist spot in future. structure contains pillar around it. As the nine pillars are situated with equal distance of 1.95 Similarly there is a mound on top of the meters from one another, it is obvious that the Labanagiri hill. This mound contains several object 59.20 diameter structure has 28 numbers of of archaeological interest such as a very small pillars. There are six pillars (all are broken) found Amlaka, some sand stone railings pillars with and within the paved floor with equal distance from without sockets and an exposed structure of each other and remaining pillars are not found laterite stone which came to light when it was there. The pillar within the floor creates a excavated by a priest for construction of a temple rectangular shape. There is a corridor of 2.40 in 2004. In 2010 the same priest excavated the meter between outer and internal pillar framing a mound by bulldozer and unearthed an elliptical Pradakshina Patha like apsidal Buddhist chaitya.4 structure.This having a secondary overlap square If a conjectural reconstruction of the Buddhist structure on it, indicates two cultural phases of chaity can be made then it will be center of construction of two different period. The elliptical attraction by both local and foreign tourists structure of Labanagiri hill is situated in the east because this place has a natural scenic beauty and and west orientation. Diameter of this structure is located in the center of the extended city, midst 59.20 meters, length is 22.½ meter, widths 10.50 of Dhauli and Kirkimundia in east, Khandagiri meter in middle and height is about 1 meter. Half Udayagiri in the north and Aragarh in the south portion of the original structure is covered with a and also famous chalcolithic site Harirajpur, secondary construction on it. The secondary Suabarei closely situated from this site. In construction is a three layer square structure surrounding area having Gopinatha temple of measuring 10.50 meters, in each side with big Kakudia, Somanatha temple Budhapada,

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Punchagaon Jaina temple. The site Labanagiri has world. However it is not viable as tourist spots to a newly constructed temple (2016) which will be attract tourists because of its distance from state another place of tourist attraction. capital. Four sites such as Dhauli, Labanagiri, A stupa was located on the top of Kirkimundia and Aragar if developed as Buddhist Kurkimundia on the right bank of the river Daya tourist circuits it will be vibrant tourist sports within near the village of Kakudia, on the Jatni-Pipili road the new enlarged smart city of Bhubaneswar, of the Pipili block of Puri district about 20 k.m. glorify as cultural center in addition to 7 from Bhubaneswar. The hillock once contained a Bhubaneswar as temple city. brick structure of a Buddhist stupa.5 The References : foundation of the structure descended in three 1. Times of India, Odisha Look to widen religious terraces which are clearly visible on its southern tourism horizon, Bhubaneswar, March 4, 2017, side and the above portion of the structure was p.02. originally surrounded by an enclosure. The enclosure was consisted of up-rights and railings 2. A. Behera & D. Dalai, Buddhist Triangle on Daya Valley Dhauli, Kirkimundia, Aragada : A Tourism several pieces (more than two hundred) which Perspective in Proceedings of The National are lying scattered on the top of the hillocks. The Seminar on Archaeology of Chhattisgarh and up-rights have sockets to receive the cross bars. Latest Excavation at Pachrahi, Directorate of They are unfortunately devoid of any decorative Culture and Archaeology, Government of sculpture or the faces. The foundation of the Chhattisgarh, Raipur ,2010, p.248. original shrine is only visible in the debris. It was 3. A. Behera, Aragarh hill : an Archaeological built of burnt bricks of large sizes. On the middle Treasure, the Journal of Orissan History, portion, to the east side of the hill, is a large plane Vol.xx.2007, p.80. space. The surface of the space contains grey and 4. A.Behera, Labanagiri: finding spot of an red ware pottery and burnt bricks. Besides these, Elliptical Chaitya. The Journal of Odishan the foundation of the monastery is also clearly history, vol-xxiv, 2011, p.62. 5. T.E. Donaldson, Iconography of the Buddhist 6 visible. A modern shrine dedicated to Kurkesvara Sculpture of Orissa, New Delhi, 2001 p.82. Siva has been erected on top of the Buddhist ruins. 6. A. Behera, Kurakhi Mundia: a place of Foot region of the hill have beautiful step well worth Archaeological importance, Proceedings of the to seen the arrangement made to draw during Odisha History Congress Annual Session Dept. summer. While exploration of the hill in March of History, Ispat Autonomous College Rourkela, 2017, by the students of Ancient Indian History, 26-27 February, 2010, p.124. Culture and Archaeology, Utkal University found 7. N. Rout & A. Behera, Heritage of Buddhism in Daya a fine piece of Buddhist sculpture in a fragmented Valley, the Historical Research Journal Volume sand stone having picture of railing. This finding LV No 1 & 2, Odisha State Museum, Bhubaneswar, substantiate the finding of huge railings at the site. 2016, p.73. The Buddhist triangle of Odisha Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri once found with ruined Dr. Anam Behera, Assistant Professor, P.G. Department mound not known to people. After the excavation of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Utkal these three places became famous site in Buddhist University, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar.

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