Buddhist Monuments of Odisha : a Study of Forms and Patronage

ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review The advent of Buddhism traces back to 6th century Kushanas and Guptas, down to Gangas and B.C. Siddhartha Gautama, a Sakya Prince left all Gajapatis in 15th –16th century A.D. the worldly pleasure in quest of the truth and reality The strategic geographical location of of life. Though, it took some years to realize the Odisha helped her in rising to great heights in reality of life, but when He was showered with respect of trade and commerce from pre- the divine light of enlightenment, instead of keeping Buddhist period. Odisha was served as a bridge it to himself, Goutam Buddha preferred to between the trans-oceanic and inland trade of enlighten others as well. The teachings preached India, causing migration of cultural traits along with by Gautam Buddha were warmly accepted by a trade and commerce. With the rise of trade and large number of people and came to be known commerce in the historical periods it is but as a new school of thought, Buddhism which later obvious; the growth of urbanization leads building turned into a major religion of the world and the of various monuments which now put together as kings, emperors, traders and commoners built resource for development of Tourism in the State. monuments, kept relics and offered gifts to pay ovation to the Master Teacher. Odisha is fortunate With the archaeological spade in different to have received a good deal of monuments and parts of Odisha, a large amount of new materials Buddhist Monuments of Odisha A Study of Forms and Patronage Sunil Kumar Patnaik relics throughout history at least up to 15th century have emerged in recent years regarding the trade A.D. and commerce and growth of Buddhist Monuments. Here, an attempt is made to discuss Odisha, the land on the eastern seashore some aspects of the trade and urbanization that of Bay of Bengal was known variously as Kalinga, has its significant contribution to know the forms Utkal and Odra in ancient times. Major portion and patronage of Buddhist Monuments of Odisha of this extensive territory was known in ancient during the historical periods which constitute a time as the land of Kalingas, a class of people major resource material for our historical research who are referred to in Brahmanical literature, in that become our tangible heritage when we look old Pali canons as well as Asokan inscriptions. In to its monumental wealth and reuse it for area its earliest history, Odisha had become a province development through tourism. But, all that need and later even the centre of great empire under is sincere researchers, well trained archaeologists the two of the most important rulers of early India and tourism promoters.1 i.e, under Asoka (3rd century B.C.), and Kharavela (1st century B.C.). Then, the The excavated materials of Sisupalgarh, stratigraphy is very clear with influence of Jaugarh, Lalitgiri, Manikapatna and the existing 8 DECEMBER - 2018 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 monuments such as Asokan Edicts at Dhauli and well connected with roads and communication Jaugada suggest to some extent the fact that network and other rural pockets existed in and Odisha or Kalinga of 3rdcentury B.C, was a well around these cities and were storehouse of populated geographical entity. The coins, coin different products as described above. Evidences moulds, some precious beads, clay and iron are in hand that during Mauryan period an artifacts, structural remains and pot-shreds found important route that led from Mathura to Vidisa, at these places, indicate the existence of people and Sanchi, joined with the southern route from of various professions, such as artisans, craftsman, the Ganges plain and its eastern branch led to the masons and traders, suggesting urbanization based Sahajati sector on the Narmada. There was a on a complex set of socio-economics.These trade route linking Tosali with Vidisa and Ujjain urban centres must have depended on existence which is supposed to be the royal route that was of villages producing an agricultural surplus. extensively used during Mauryan period.3 The Ancient Odisha or Kalinga was good producer recent archaeological explorations in the places of rice, bajra, cotton fabrics, samudra luna (salt), like Kankia (Radhanagar), Manamunda- elephant, silk, dukula (a kind of cloth), gems, Asurgarh, Boud on the Mahanadi belt and pearls, oyster, perfumes, conch sells, ornaments, Sirpur,and Ratnapur substantiate to the fact. There sugar, earthen pottery etc. Diamond was probably are several terracotta inscriptional evidences one of the valuable commodities sold at found from Radhanagar partial excavation which Kalinganagar. The mention of all these were found all focus that there was an early urban centre. in the literary works viz, Jatakas, Arthasastra Further, on the coastal line Tosali had directly come of Kautilya, Mahabhasya of Patanjali, in contact with Tamralipti in Bengal on the north- Charaka Samhita, Samyaktta Nikaya and east and Kaveripattnam on the south-east, thus Indica of Meghasthanese.. An examination of the forming a trade circuit. By the second century B.C wood remains from Sisupalagarh suggests that the entire east-coast seemed to have been linked there has been no major climatic change in this in a single coastal network.5 part of Odisha during the last two thousand years. By this time references in early Sanskrit This evidence further throws much light on the and Pali literature indicate private ownership of present day productions which almost all the 2 land and rise of the very rich households of land goods found in this region described above. owners – the grahapatis – in the middle Ganga During this period we have ample valley. It was from the ranks of the grahapatis evidence of at least two metropolis, i.e, one at that the trading communities of Vanijas and Tosali ? (Sisupalgarh/Radhanagar) and other one Setthis arose and salt, metals textiles, and pottery is Samapa at Jaugada. Both are located in the were the standard items of trade.6 This growing coastal tract. The fortification though little is long distance trade between the Ganga valley and available at Sisupalgarh and suggest status of a the Deccan peninsula had its impact in the east mula-nagara which most of the cities of this coast. The existing coastal trade route, starting period in northern India was fortified which was through the port towns Tamralipti, Palura, also found at the excavations Aahichhatra, Pithunda (?) and down below Kaveripatnam Rajghat, Kausambhi, Harsh-ka-Tilla, made accessible these materials for transportation. (Kurukshetra) etc. Now, these city centres were On the whole ancient Odisha and its port town DECEMBER - 2018 9 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review had the market for inland commodities as well as little reference is available regarding the prosperity. to export the material to outside. Thus, the Moreover, we have the Sisupalgarh (Tosali or hinterland on the back, Odisha from 2nd c. BC to Kalinganagar ?) – an urban centre of Odisha 2nd c. AD, was formed a very prosperous state marked the decline and by fifth century AD, the of which we had evidence in the Hatigumpha entire settlement vanishes, perhaps due to decline inscriptions of Kharavela. Further, the evidence of maritime trade?.The recent ongoing excavation of Rouletted ware that is one of the indicator of at Kankia (Radhanagar) shows that there was an this trade network in the sub–continent which was early historical settlement with fortifications and first identified by Wheeler at Arikamedu on the was existing from 4th - 3rd century B.C to early st nd east coast. He assigned to it a date of the 1 –2 part of 5th century A.D. The city centre is century A D. Since, then the ware has been found surrounded by number of Buddhist settlements all along the east coast from Chandraketugarh and like Langudi, Kayama, Vajragiri,Tarapur and Deuli Tamluk in the east coast from in the lower Ganga which form cluster like that of Buddhist settlements delta to Sisupalgarh and Manikapatna and of Deccan. Radhanagar on the Odishan coast, several sites in the lower Krishna basin to Korkai of Srilanka. The next phase of Odisha history with 4th Thus, in the 2nd – 1st c. BC to 2nd AD., the east century to 600 AD, when the minor dynasties like coast was linked in a single trade circuit with Matharas, Nalas, Manas etc ruled over different pockets of ruling elites. pockets of Odisha. The rise of several dynasties in different pockets of Odisha during this period, Hoards of Kushana and Puri-Kushana with most of them issuing land grants to coins have been unearthed mostly in the coastal district ranging in time between c. 1st and 4th Brahmanas and religious establishments implies centuries AD. Further, Roman coins from large scale agrarian expansion, a process of which Bamanghaty in Mayurbhanj and Sisupalgarh and most have had important bearing on the social Roman clay bullas from Radhanagar, supplies the process and structure. evidence to surmise the trade relations. To add During this period though major trade more, recently inscriptions from Lalitgiri records declined to some extent still Tamralipti continued donations by merchants and traders that can be to be a famous port – through which copper of linked with a similar donation found from Simhabhum was exported in large quantities. Nagarjunakonda that mentions a guild deals in Contemporary to Matharas of Kalinga, Nalas betel leaves. The importance of the eastern ruled over the Bastr.-Koraput region which was maritime trade to the later Satavahanas is evident part of the ancient Atavika territory and later on, from the issue of their ship type coins found along become well known in history as land of 7 the Andhra coast, depicting double masted ships.

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