Raw data
“In the remote Bihar village of Ghodakatora near Giriyak in Nalanda district on the banks of the Panchani River, a group of committed archaeologists are little by little bringing an ancient culture back to focus after thousands of years. At the centre of the exercise in the documentation (not discovery per se) of a huge Stupa that apparently carries the signature technique of random rubble dry stone masonry method. "This stupa's structure may belong to the Mauryan period (321-185 BC). And it is definitely one of the largest stupa discovered so far, if not the second largest one," said Sujit Nayan, the chief archaeologist. The stone stupa, which is now being documented, lies atop a 500-ft hill. […] The stone stupa is located near to one brick Stupa earlier discovered by British Archaeologist Alexander Cunningham in 1861. The one discovered by Cunningham is of a cylindrical shape with a high base, consisting of more than one terrace. Similar stupa was earlier discovered at Kesariya in East Champaran district of Bihar. A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is currently studying this Stupa at Ghorakatora, more than 100 km from Patna. […] “ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Huge+stupa+discovered+in+Nalanda+excavation/1/28822.html
Input by: tmciolek, Apr 23, 2013
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 23 Apr 2013
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Ghorakatora monastery?, IN.
Lat 25.01954 Long 85.49996
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2013.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Ghorakatora monastery? - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Huge+stupa+discovered+in+Nalanda+excavation/1/28822.html
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India:State of Bihar
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- [missing data]
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx. Lat 25.01954 Long 85.49996 - based on visual identification of the site of the Ghorakatora Lake in maps/satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 23 Apr 2013.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- [missing data]
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Giriyak - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Huge+stupa+discovered+in+Nalanda+excavation/1/28822.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx. Lat 25.0333 Long 85.5333 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/34/Giriak.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- [missing data]
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- Est. in the Mauryan period (321-185 BC) - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Huge+stupa+discovered+in+Nalanda+excavation/1/28822.html
- MBM chrono-tag <=0200 - tmciolek 23 Apr 2013
- MBM chrono-tag: <=0200 dated-e
12. Date-intermediate
- [missing data]
13. Date-late
- [missing data]
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- [missing data]
16. Additional notes
- [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
18. Known monks and nuns associated with this monastery
19. Available Printed Literature
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]
end of page
