Ratnagiri monastery, (in) Ratnagiri, Orissa, IN

Raw data

"Ratnagiri in the Birupa river valley in the district of Jajpur, is another famous Buddhist centre. The small hill near the village of the same name has rich Buddhist antiquities. A large-scale excavation has unearthed two large monasteries, a big stupa, Buddhist shrines, sculptures, and a large number of votive stupas.
This excavation revealed the establishment of this Buddhist centre at least from the time of the Gupta king Narasimha Gupta Baladitya (first half of the sixth century A.D.). Buddhism had developed at this place - unhindered upto the 12th century A.D.
In the beginning, this was an important centre of Mahayana form of Buddhism. During the 8th-9th century A.D., this became a great centre of Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana art and philosophy. Pag Sam Jon Zang, a Tibetan source, indicates that the institution at Ratnagiri played a significant role in the emergence of Kalachakratantra during the 10th century A.D.
This is quite evident from the numerous votive stupas with reliefs of divinities of the Vajrayana pantheon. Separate images of these divinities and inscribed stone slabs, and moulded terracotta plaques with dharanis found in the excavation at Ratnagiri.
Presently this university of Buddhist learning is found in ruins that attract a number of visitors every year. For lovers of art and architecture, lay tourists as well as special groups, Ratnagiri offers in its magnificent ruins, a large brick monastery with beautiful doorways, cella, sanctum with a colossal Buddha figure, and a large number of Buddhist sculptures. There is a smaller monastery at the place along with a stone temple, brick shrines and a large stupa with numerous smaller stupas around."
http://orissadiary.com/orissa_tourism/heritage/Ratnagiri.asp
Input by: tmciolek, 11 Apr 2009

Input by: tmciolek, 22 Apr 2009

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 09 Jul 2014

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.

Location of Ratnagiri monastery, IN.

General location of the Ratnagiri monastery, IN.
lat=20.6333 long=86.3333
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=20.6333+86.3333+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Ratnagiri%20monastery,%20IN)&ll=20.6333,86.3333&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Ratnagiri monastery

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • India:State of Orissa

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates


5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries


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


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names


8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition


10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition


11. Date-early

MBM chrono-tag 0500-32p - tmciolek 09 Jul 2014
0500-32p 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 1133-66p dated-el


12. Date-intermediate


13. Date-late

MBM chrono-tag 1133-66p - tmciolek 09 Jul 2014


14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological, texts, art historical, inscriptional

16. Additional notes


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

  • [missing data]

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