Badalpur monastery, (near) Taxila, Punjab, PK

Raw data

"The Badalpur site is situated about 9 km North West Taxila museum and 2 km North-West of Julian village. Alexander Cunningham, the then Director General of Archaeological Survey of India visited this important Buddhist monastery during 1863-64. […] Further excavations were carried out the site by the federal department of Archaeology and museums from 2005-2009 led by Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Khan, Dr. Arif and Mr. Shakir Ali. During the course of excavations a huge number of antiquities have been discovered. […] But the most remarkable discovery of the excavations is the discovery of a Mathura sculpture of the Buddha made from reddish sand stone. The sculpture depicts a Buddha seated on a throne with a cross legged, both soles of the feet having dharmachakra symbols. The right hand is in abhaya mudra with a wheel of law on the palm. pipal tree is engraved at the back of the sculpture. Similar Mathura style sculpture of Buddha was also discovered from the surface of Bhari Dheri site in Taxila valley. Due to this unique discovery it is very clear that the Mathura images of Buddha from these sites were originated from the soil of Mathura and were presented to these monasteries by some devotees/monks during their pilgrimage to the holly shrine of Taxila in the era of 2nd century CE. Another remarkable discovery is the sculpture of bodhisattva Maitreya and a stupa shaped relic casket in schist stone was also revealed during the past excavation from this monastery."
http://www.qau.edu.pk/?p=522

Badalpur monastery - lat 33.7833 long 72.8681 - http://www.getamap.net/maps/pakistan/north-west_frontier/_badalpur/

139-012
Lalchak and Badalpur Buddhist stuppa
Punjab, Pakistan
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139/multiple=1&unique_number=153

"QAU discover antiquities at Badalpur monastery
ISLAMABAD: The archaeologists and students of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations (TIAC), Quaid-i-Azam University, have discovered huge number of antiquities of 1st Century to 4th Century CE during archaeological excavations on the Buddhist Monastery of Badalpur.
[…]
The antiquities discovered were including potteries, gold and copper coins, seals and sealings, beads, iron objects and grinding mills. But the most remarkable discovery of the excavations is the discovery of a Mathura sculpture of the Buddha made from reddish sand stone.

The sculpture depicts a Buddha seated on a throne with a cross legged, both soles of the feet having Dharmachakra symbols. The right hand is in abhaya mudra with a wheel of law on the palm. Pipal tree is engraved at the back of the sculpture. Similar Mathura style sculpture of Buddha was also discovered from the surface of Bhari Dheri site in Taxila Valley. staff report"
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C07%5C02%5Cstory_2-7-2011_pg11_4

Archaeologists discover 4th Century
"Another discovery is the sculpture of bodhisattva Maitreya and a stupa shaped relic casket in schist stone. The Badalpur site is situated about nine kilometres north west of Taxila Museum and two kilometres north west of Julian village."
http://tech.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndiaArchaeology/message/12669

"Around 200 objects discovered from first century Buddhist stupa and monastery Badalpur near Taxila […] [a] sister site of Badalpur known as Jinan Wali Dheri Buddhist Monastery dated back to 5th-century at Taxila
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-629896

"The Site is located about 12 kms from Taxila towards Khanpur. The site is close to Jinnan Wali Dheri, in between one of the orange groves. The site is included in the local heritage area map available with the Taxila Museum. It is, however difficult to reach there alone unless you have some local guide.
The Stupa is in dilapidated condition and the local villagers use the site for grazing their goats and cattle. One portion of the Stupa is completely damaged. The Stupa also has a adjoining monastery, some portion of which have been excavated. The remaining excavation work, it seems have been abandoned.
The site is contemporary to the other buddhist heritage site around Taxila and Khanpur."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32511807@N08/5367275998
Input by: tmciolek, July 13, 2012

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 23 Dec 2012

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Badalpur monastery, PK.

General location of the Badalpur monastery, PK.
lat=33.7822 long=72.8688
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2012.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.7822+72.8688+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Badalpur%20monastery,%20PK)&ll=33.7822,72.8688&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en

Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Pakistan: Punjab

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Badalpur monastery, approx., Lat 33.7822 Long 72.8688 - based on the visual identification of the site in satellite photographs, http://maps.google.com/.
  • North of the monastery's building there are remnants of the stupa - tmciolek, 19 Jul 2012.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

6. Ancient name of the known nearest city, town, or village

7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

8. The settlement's coordinates

  • Taxila Ruins of Sirkup, approx., Lat 33.755 Long 72.829 - based on the visual identification of the site in maps, http://maps.google.com/ - tmciolek, 13 Jul 2012.

9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • [missing data]

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • MBM chrono-tag <=0200 - tmciolek 23 Dec 2012
  • <=0200 0200-32c 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32p 0333-66p 0367-99p dated-el

12. Date-intermediate

  • [missing data]

13. Date-late

  • MBM chrono-tag 0300-32p 0333-66p 0367-99p - tmciolek 23 Dec 2012

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological, architectural

16. Additional notes

  • [missing data]

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

end of page

0200-32c0233-66c0267-99c0300-32p0333-66p0367-99p200m<=0200bdated-elpakistanplacesouth-asiastupatradition(?)
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