February
17
/ 2025
A dedicated team of 50 archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been tirelessly working at the Ratnagiri archaeological site for more than two months, carefully excavating layers of soil to reveal archaeological treasures that shed new light on Odisha’s significance in Buddhist history (Odisha is a state in eastern India). The most remarkable of these finds are three gigantic Buddha heads, which all come from the first millennium AD. More than six decades ago, renowned archaeologist Debala Mitra, India’s first female archaeologist and former ASI Director General, unearthed two grand quadrangular monasteries, a massive stupa, a cluster of shrines, and numerous sculptures at Ratnagiri—also known as Odisha’s ‘Hill of Jewels.’ Today, along with the huge heads an
