Second excavation phase at Kashmir Buddhist site starts today
Archaeologists have begun the second phase of excavations at a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site in Zehanpora, Kashmir. The site was identified after researchers matched local mounds to historical photographs found in a French museum.
Why it matters
The discovery provides significant new insights into the ancient cultural and religious history of the Kashmir region.
ZEHANPORA (BARAMULLA): Excavations will begin Saturday on the second phase of Zehanpora, a Buddhist site in north Kashmir’s Baramulla. J&K chief secretary Atal Dullo will inaugurate the project.The presence of a 2,000-year-old Buddhist civilisation at the site was discovered last year by Mohamad Ajmal Shah, a professor at University of Kashmir. It gained prominence after PM Narendra Modi mentioned it during his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Dec 28 last year.The Prime Minister recalled that people had noticed tall mounds in Zehanpora for years without knowing about their significance. What were first believed to be unusual rock formations were later found to resemble three Buddha stupas seen in photos in a French museum.According to Modi, the blurred photos, thousands of kilometres away, proved crucial as it showed three Buddhist stupas, helping archaeologists connect the dots and reconstruct Kashmir’s ancient past.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in