ASI Patna seeks excavation at Kurkihar village in Bihar's Gaya to find archaeological treasures
Patna: The Patna Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has sought permission from its headquarters to excavate Kurkihar village in Bihar’s Gaya district in search of archaeological treasures and to establish the region’s cultural sequence.
Kurkihar village, situated about 5 km northeast of Wazirganj and 27 km east of Gaya, is believed to have once been an ancient city and the site of a Buddhist monastery.
According to records from the ASI Patna Circle, accessed by PTI, "Alexander Cunningham, an officer of the British Army and an archaeologist, visited Kurkihar once in 1861-62 and again in 1879-80. He mentioned having seen not only numerous Buddhist sculptures, large and small, but a large number of votive stupas."
Alexander Cunningham, who excavated numerous sites in India, including Sarnath and Sanchi, was the first director of ASI.
Speaking to PTI, Sujeet Nayan, the Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI Patna Circle, said, "Yes, we have sought permission from the ASI headquarters to carry out an excavation at the site where Kurkihar village is situated now."
The antiquarian remains of Kurkihar were brought to notice also by Markham Kittoe, a well-known archaeologist, in 1847, Cunningham in 1861-62 and 1879-80, and other scholars, Nayan said.
"The site consists of a vast mound of bricks and remains of a large monastery. The main mound of the Buddhist ruins is around 25 feet high. A proposal in this regard has been recently sent to the ASI (HQ)," Nayan said.
According to Markham Kittoe, a well-known archaeologist, Kurkihar is an ancient city and Buddhist monastery or vihara, Nayan said, adding the main mound at the site contains Buddhist ruins, including inscriptions with other antiquities and cultural materials.
"Well-known historian K P Jayaswal had described how attention was dramatically drawn to the site in 1930 when a group of about 226 bronze sculptures were accidentally discovered in a mound located on the western side of the local temple in the area," Nayan said.
Most of the sculptures, cast in bronze, were then acquired for the Patna Museum and several other museums in different countries,” the Superintending Archaeologist said.
There is a huge architectural wealth that needs proper excavation of Kurkihar, he added.
Several statues made of stones have also been found from the Pala period, some of which are still in active worship at the local temple, he said.
Several inscriptions have also been found on the bronze sculptures, he said, adding the Kurkihar inscriptions refer to various periods of Pala dynasty rulers - from Devapala, Rajyapala, Mahipala and Vigrahapala III - ranging from the 9th Century to 1074 AD.
The monastery's name was Apanaka, which is mentioned in several inscriptions.
It was very popular among the visitors from Kanchi in South India and other international visitors, the superintending archaeologist added.
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Trump’s fresh threat to bomb Iran amid reports of deal to end war
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said.
According to Axios, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
It said many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved.
