Lalitgiri monastery, (near) Dhanmandal, Orissa, IN

Raw data

In 1997 the Archeological Department of Orissa excavated Lalitgiri, a site near Ratnagiri in the Jajpur District of Orissa. lat. 20/35 N long.. 86/15 E. So far four monastic buildings have been located on the site, which was occupied by Buddhists from the first century AD to the 12th Century. See Bimal Bandyopadhya, Buddhist Centres of Orissa (New Delhi: Sundeep Prakashan, 2004) pp. 37-42.

A very early railing medallion excavated in 1986 is is similar to one at Bodhgaya datable to the 2nd Century BCE. (p.441)
Xuanzang referred to the site as Pu-sie-po ki-li, probably in reference to Pushpagiri.
Vajrayana remains only after the 8th Century. (p. 451)
The ground plans of the four monasteries have cells for about 100 monks. Monastery building was in two distinct phases. (p. 446 - 449.)
See G. C. Chauley, "Excavated remains at Lalitgiri: A Buddhist Site in Orissa" in Kishor K. Basa and Pradeep Mohanty (eds.), Archaeology of Orissa, II (Delhi: Pratibha Pradhan, 2000).

Monasteries #1 and #4 date from the 7th - 9th centuries (p.461)
On the site, there is a particular type of knobbed ware that was characteristic of Sri Lanka. (p. 461).
The late ceramics (10 - 12th Cent. CE) were of a distinctly inferior quality compared to earlier examples. (p. 461)
See J.Patnaik, "Ceramics of Lalitagiri: A Study", in Kishor K. Basa and Pradeep Mohanty (eds.), Archaeology of Orissa, II (Delhi: Pratibha Pradhan, 2000).

In the 11th Century a Buddhist monk named Subhakara Simha from the Lalitgiri-Udaygiri region traveled to China, visitdd the court of the Emperor Husan-tsung and traslated the Maha-Vairochona into Chinese. (p. 475)
See Dbaraj Pradhan, Pradeep Mohanty and Jitu Misra, "Manikapatana: An ancient and medieval port on the coast of Orissa", in Kishor K. Basa and Pradeep Mohanty (eds.), Archaeology of Orissa, II (Delhi: Pratibha Pradhan, 2000).
Src: India
 
Another portion of this large site (Lalitgiri-Udaygiri-Ratnagiri) is now known as Langundi Hill. This 104 acre site includes several monasteries.
See D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Sites and Shrines in India: History, Art and Architecture (Delhi: Inian Books Centre, 2003) p.213.

Input by: SG Feb 20 2009

"Lalitgiri - The earliest Buddhist Complex dating back to the 1st century AD, Lalitgiri forms an important node of the Diamond Triangle ie Lalitgiri (in present Cuttack district) and Ratnagiri and Udayagiri (in present Jajpur district). Well connected by excellent roads to Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, recent excavations here have brought to light significant archaeological material that upholds Lalitgiri as a great centre of Buddhist attraction.
The majestic ruins of the huge brick monastery, the remains of the chaitya hall, a number of votive stupas and a renovated stone stupa at the apex of a small rugged sandstone hill dominate the rural greenery around.
In addition, the museum displays a large number of Mahayana sculptures consisting of colossal Buddha figures, huge Boddhisattva statues, statues of Tara, Jambhala and others. Interestingly, most of these sculptures contain short inscriptions on them. The Standing Buddha figures, with knee length draperies over the shoulders remind one of the influence of the Gandhara and Mathura school of art.
This also brings to mind the fact of Prajna, who had come from Takshasila to ancient Orissa to learn the philosophy of Yoga. He later left for China in the eigth century A.D. with an autographed manuscript of the Buddhist text Gandavyuha, from the then Orissan king Sivakara Deva 1, to the Chinese Emperor Te-tsong.
The discovery of caskets containing sacred relics, probably of the Tathagata himself, from the stone stupa at the top of the hill, further enhances the sacredness of the stupa as well as of Lalitgiri for Buddhists around the world. It also brings to mind the description of Hiuen T'sang, the famed Chinese traveller of the seventh century A D, about the magnificent stupa on top of a hill at Puspagiri Mahavihara which emitted a brilliant light because of its sacredness. " On the basis of archaeological materials including inscriptions brought to light by excavation, Langudi hill in Jajpur district may be identified as Puspagiri."
http://orissadiary.com/orissa_tourism/heritage/Lalitgiri.asp
Input: tmciolek, 11 Apr, 2009

"Lalitgiri (also known as Naltigiri) is a Buddhist complex in Orissa"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalitgiri

Lalitgiri is situated some 5-10 kms E of Dhanmandal - tmciolek, maps.google.com, 22 Jun 2010.

Input: tmciolek, 12 May 2009.

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 05 Apr 2013

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 Lalitgiri monastery, IN.

General location of the Lalitgiri monastery, IN.
Lat 20.59333 Long 86.2585
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=20.59333+86.2585+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Lalitgiri%20monastery,%20IN)&ll=20.59333,86.2585&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Lalitgiri monastery

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • India:State of Orissa

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names


4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 20.59333 Long 86.2585 - based on the visual identification of the Lalitgiri settlement, in satellite imagery, in maps.google.com, tmc, 22 Jun 2010.
  • Approx., Lat 20.58333 Long 86.25 - Bandyopadhya (2004:37-42).

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries


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


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Mahayana, then Vajrayana (after the 8th century)

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition


11. Date-early

  • 200 BCE (based mainly on analysis of ceramics)
  • MBM chrono-tag: <=0200 - tmciolek 1 Apr 2013
  • <=0200 0200-32c 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el

12. Date-intermediate

  • 630s CE (when Xuanzang refers to it)

13. Date-late

  • 1200 CE
  • MBM chrono-tag: 1200=> - tmciolek 1 Apr 2013

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • Ceramic evidence suggests contact with Sri Lanka
  • In the 11th Century a Buddhist monk named Subhakara Simha from the Lalitgiri-Udaygiri region traveled to China, visitdd the court of the Emperor Husan-tsung and traslated the Maha-Vairochona into Chinese. (p. 475) - See Dbaraj Pradhan, Pradeep Mohanty and Jitu Misra, "Manikapatana: An ancient and medieval port on the coast of Orissa", in Kishor K. Basa and Pradeep Mohanty (eds.), Archaeology of Orissa, II (Delhi: Pratibha Pradhan, 2000).

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • pilgrim accounts, archaeology (sculpture, architecture, ceramic analysis, numismatics), epigraphic, art history

16. Additional notes


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

  • [missing data]

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