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Time of India
22-05-2025
- Time of India
Rare terracotta sculptures to be showcased at Buxar's museum
1 2 Buxar: Rare terracotta sculptures unearthed from Chausa Garh will soon be showcased at the Sitaram Upadhyay Museum, located near Ramrekha Ghat, in Buxar. A new Chausa Clay Statue Gallery is being developed to exhibit these priceless artefacts, many of which date back to the Gupta period, museum in charge Shiv Kumar Mishra said on Thursday. The sculptures were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted by the state govt's directorate of archaeology between 2011 and 2014. Scholars Umesh Chandra Dwivedi and Jalaj Kumar Tiwari have meticulously studied and documented around 50 terracotta figures recovered from the site. Most of the statues depict scenes from the Ramayana, such as Sita Haran (the abduction of Sita), battles involving Ram and Lakshman, and figures of Hanuman and Sugriv. Several sculptures are inscribed in Brahmi script, dating back to the 4th century AD. One of the most significant pieces is the Kalyan Sundara sculpture, representing the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati. It is considered the earliest known terracotta depiction of this theme in the country. "These artefacts not only reflect the artistic brilliance of the Gupta era but also stand as invaluable cultural and historical treasures of the country," Mishra said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 자신이 전략의 달인이라고 생각하시나요? 레이드 섀도우 레전드 무료 체험 Undo "If you want to connect with our heritage, this museum is a must-visit." The Sitaram Upadhyay Museum is a rich confluence of ancient relics. It houses a vast array of statues and artefacts of deities dating from prehistoric times to the Kushan period, primarily unearthed from excavations in Buxar, Chausa, and the Dumraon subdivision. However, despite its historical significance, the museum receives only 10-12 visitors on an average day. "Many residents are still unaware of this remarkable cultural heritage site," said Abhijit Kumar, a local teacher of history. The museum's collection spans from 3rd century BC to 7th century AD, representing the pre-Mauryan, Kushan, and Gupta periods. Among the highlights is what is believed to be the oldest known statue of Lord Nandi. Established in 1979, the museum underwent a major transformation in 1993 with the construction of a new building by the Bihar art and culture department. This development is documented in the museum's visitor records. The museum houses approximately 1,500 antiquities, categorised into stone sculptures, terracotta figures, manuscripts, lithographs, coins, and prehistoric relics. Key exhibits include statues of Lord Vishnu, Shiva (Shankar), and Nandi—strong evidence of the influence of Vaishnavism and Shaivism in ancient India. The museum also boasts an extensive coin collection, ranging from ancient to medieval times. It includes punch-marked coins—the earliest known in Indian history—as well as coins from the Greek, Kushan, Shaka, Gupta, and Mughal periods, crafted in gold, silver, copper, and lead. "Despite having only four staff members, including myself, we are committed to revitalising interest in the museum," Mishra said. In March 2024, the museum hosted a national seminar titled Art of Magadh. On World Heritage Day and International Museum Day, various events were organized for school students and the general public, including a photo exhibition showcasing Bihar's rich heritage.
The Print
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Medieval Kashmir was confidently multicultural. And dazzled the world with art and ideas
Over the last two thousand years, Kashmir has been one of the great crossroads of inner Asia. Turks, Tibetans, Mongols, Mughals, and Chinese have all contributed to its culture. At times, Kashmir has dazzled the world with its own art and ideas; at others, it has received and reinvented those of the wider region. With a fragile ceasefire holding along the India-Pakistan Line of Control in Kashmir, it's time to take a step back and look at the region's broader history. All too often, Kashmir is seen only as a politically or religiously fragile zone, with its culture and people discussed only when relevant to a movie or a news cycle. This is a shame. The great cycles of art and culture The history of Kashmir, as a cultural unit, is not clear-cut. Indeed, as historian Robert E Fisher writes in the edited volume Art and Architecture of Ancient Kashmir, 'the name Kashmir was not generally limited to the small Himalayan valley until Kushan times, in the early centuries AD.' But it's possible to trace the development of Kashmiri culture by looking at its art. The earliest Kashmiri sculptures are in the naturalistic style of Gandhara, a cultural unit which included present-day northwest India and Pakistan. Gandhara was a prosperous, primarily Buddhist region that traded with Central Asia via Afghanistan. Its rulers, the Central Asian Kushans, founded cities in Kashmir such as Ushkur (originally Huvishkapura, after the Kushan king Huvishka). For many centuries, Kashmir entered and left the orbit of various powers in the Indus and Gangetic Plains. It was only in the 7th century CE, with both Gandhara and the Gangetic Plains politically splintered, that Kashmir finally made its dazzling geopolitical—and cultural—debut. This is a topic we've dealt with before in Thinking Medieval: under the conqueror Lalitaditya Muktapida (c. 724–760 CE), Kashmir is generally believed to have dominated a good chunk of the upper Gangetic Plains, and mounted expeditions into present-day Tajikistan and Tibet. Historian Tansen Sen, in his paper 'Kaśmīr, Tang China, and Muktāpīḍa Lalitāditya's Ascendancy Over the Southern Hindukush Region', investigated this using contemporary Chinese sources. He found that, while Lalitaditya may have attacked the Gangetic Plains, the Kashmiri policy in Central Asia was far more restrained. Isolated from the old Gandharan trade routes, Kashmir was instead looking to Ladakh as a key corridor. Arab armies were advancing in this direction from the West, while Tibetans raided from the East. Chinese court documents suggest that, in pursuit of this goal, Lalitaditya allied with various Turkic city-states in Tajikistan, and offered Chinese armies logistical support in expeditions against the Tibetans. (Later Kashmiri poets would, however, remember this in more jingoistic terms). The success of this policy is, once again, visible in art. From around Lalitaditya's time, Kashmiri art was no longer simply repurposing styles from elsewhere. Instead, in Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh and Tibet, we see the overwhelming dominance of Kashmiri artistic ideas, suggesting the movement of artists, sculptors, merchants, and monks. Many Kashmiri royals are known to have constructed monasteries in Srinagar to host foreign scholars and teachers. At the same time, new bronze icons were developed to meet the needs of Tantric Buddhist elites in neighbouring regions: figures with rich jewellery, multiple arms and heads, and elongated eyes. Their facial features and hairstyles suggest that medieval Kashmir was confidently multiethnic and multicultural. Art historian Rob Linrothe, writing in the volume Transmission of Buddhism Across Central Asian Networks, argues that in Tibet and Ladakh, even though artists were aware of ideas from Xinjiang and further east, they preferred Kashmiri styles. This means that if not for Kashmir, the visual world of a huge chunk of inner Asia would look entirely different. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Kashmir was a culturally dazzling—if politically unstable—kingdom. Kashmiri poets, such as Bilhana, were active as far south as present-day Basavakalyan in Karnataka, and Kashmiri philosophers, such as Abhinavagupta, were known across the subcontinent. Kashmiri kings, however, were constantly vulnerable to the intrigues of landed aristocrats and religious institutions. Rulers such as Harsha (r. 1069–1101) began to sack various local temples and monasteries, hiring Turk mercenaries. Turk and Mongol migrations and conquests continued, and, by the 1300s, Kashmir had been incorporated into the Islamicate, Persianate world. Also Read: Medieval Bengali Buddhism wasn't purely 'Indian'. Javanese gods, Hindu rivalry Kashmir as a Muslim Crossroads With the advent of a Muslim ruling class, Kashmir's sculptural and figural painting traditions waned. Yet, in other ways, the developments of prior centuries continued to endure. As historian Mushtaq A Kaw writes in 'Central Asian Contribution to Kashmir's Tradition of Religio-Cultural Pluralism', Kashmir had a tradition of worshipping relics of the Prophet Muhammad—directly contiguous with practices in neighbouring Xinjiang. The idea very likely comes from the worship of Buddhist relics. Kaw also points to similarities in wedding rites, naming ceremonies, and ascetic traditions that Kashmir shared with a vast swathe of Central Asia. While it's possible that many such traditions predate the arrival of Islam, what seems beyond dispute is that Kashmir's ancient connections were rejuvenated under Muslim rule. By the 17th century, Kashmir was once again firmly under the Gangetic orbit of the Mughal empire. Historian Showket Ahmad Mandloo, in 'Trade and Commerce in Kashmir During the Mughal Period', writes that the Mughal historian Abul Fazl describes no less than twenty-six routes traversing Kashmir. These connected it to 'Ladakh, Tibet, Kashgar, Yarkand, China and Turkestan. The trade with Bhutan, Nepal and Bengal also took place by this route.' Armies, caravans, traders, mendicants, and artisans from all directions crisscrossed Kashmir. Kashmiri saffron, paper, fruits, and textiles found thriving markets in India and beyond, while Kashmiri Pandits and Sufis frequently found lucrative positions in Mughal service. Thousands of shawls were commissioned by Mughal aristocrats; Kashmir had easy access to raw materials (wool from Ladakh) as well as artisans, traders, and styles emerging from Central Asia. By connecting Indian buyers to Central Asian sellers, Kashmir's prosperity exploded. Peoples and cultures, languages and ethnicities—in today's world of nation-states, we often see them as fixed, territorially-bounded, ascending and descending because of war or fervour. In particular, Kashmir's transition from primarily Hindu to primarily Muslim is seen as a break from its past, providing justification for extremists to demand the involvement of nuclear-armed powers. It seems we forget that Kashmir was always, for better or worse, the beating heart of inner Asia. Anirudh Kanisetti is a public historian. He is the author of 'Lords of Earth and Sea: A History of the Chola Empire' and the award-winning 'Lords of the Deccan'. He hosts the Echoes of India and Yuddha podcasts. He tweets @AKanisetti and is on Instagram @anirbuddha. This article is a part of the 'Thinking Medieval' series that takes a deep dive into India's medieval culture, politics, and history. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Taliban change tune towards Afghan heritage sites
In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan's millennia-old heritage, including pre-Islamic relics. Even months before their takeover in 2021 the Taliban called for the protection of ancient artefacts in the country, sparking scepticism among observers. "All have an obligation to robustly protect, monitor and preserve these artefacts" and sites in Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities declared in February that year. They are "part of our country's history, identity and rich culture". Since their return to power and decades of war ended, archaeological finds -- particularly related to Buddhism -- have proliferated, with discoveries publicised by the authorities. In eastern Laghman province, niches carved into rocks in Gowarjan village are believed to have been storerooms dating back to the Kushan empire, which 2,000 years ago stretched from the Gobi desert to the river Ganges. Also in Laghman, carved Brahmi inscriptions have been found, along with a hollowed out stone slab used for pounding grapes for wine. "It is said that Afghan history goes back 5,000 years -- these ancient sites prove it; people lived here," said Mohammed Yaqoub Ayoubi, head of the provincial culture and tourism department. "Whether they were Muslim or not, they had a kingdom here," he told AFP, adding that the Taliban authorities afford "a great deal of attention" to the preservation of these sites. In nearby Ghazni province, the information and culture head Hamidullah Nisar echoed the sentiment. Recently uncovered Buddhist statuettes must be "protected and passed down to future generations because they are part of our history", he said. - 'They value them' - These relics would have likely met a different fate during the Taliban's first rule from 1996 to 2001. Days after Taliban founder Mullah Omar ordered the destruction of all Buddhist statues to prevent idol worship, the gigantic 1,500-year-old Buddhas of central Bamiyan province were pulverised -- the Taliban having been unmoved by international outcry. "When they returned, people thought they would have no regard for historical sites," said Mohammed Nadir Makhawar, director of heritage preservation in Laghman, a position he held under the ousted Republic. "But we see that they value them." In December 2021, the Taliban reopened the Afghan National Museum, where they had once destroyed pre-Islamic artefacts. The following year, they reached out to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to help preserve the historic Buddhist site of Mes Aynak, where there is also a copper mine under a development contract with a Chinese consortium. "The request was unexpected," said Ajmal Maiwandi, the head of AKTC in Afghanistan, who even noted an "enthusiasm" from the authorities to support the conservation work. "I think the Taliban have understood how much the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas damaged their reputation," said Valery Freland, director of the ALIPH foundation, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage. "They seem concerned today with preserving material heritage in all its diversity," he added. However, experts have highlighted that the Taliban authorities do not extend the same concern to intangible heritage: music, dance, folklore and anything involving women remain a red line in their severe interpretation of Islam. And while a historic synagogue in Herat city was preserved after the Taliban takeover, local authorities have recently resisted media attention on the site and the city's former Jewish community. - 'Cautiously optimistic' - Afghanistan has signed several conventions on heritage since the Taliban's first reign, with its destruction deemed a war crime in 2016. Beyond the risk of angering the international community -- whose recognition the Taliban seek -- Afghanistan's heritage represents "a potential lever for the country's tourism and economic development", said an industry expert speaking on condition of anonymity. However, the authorities face two major challenges, the source said, pointing to a lack of financial resources and the departure -- following their takeover -- of "the archaeological and heritage elite". Security could hamper tourism ambitions as well; a group visiting Bamiyan was targeted in a deadly militant attack last year. In the tiny Laghman museum, a plastic bag and newspaper serve as protection for the statuettes, one of which depicts the face of a Buddhist goddess. It was discovered last year in the courtyard of a farm, among milling cows and goats. Ayoubi says he needs help to properly conserve and study them to determine their precise age, a process hampered by four decades of war in Afghanistan. Looting has also proved an ongoing challenge, with no fewer than 30 sites still being "actively pillaged", according to a 2023 study by University of Chicago researchers. Even if preservation projects have not been disrupted, Maiwandi remains "cautiously optimistic". "The situation in Afghanistan can change quickly," he said.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Taliban change tune towards Afghan heritage sites
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan . Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan's millennia-old heritage, including pre-Islamic months before their takeover in 2021 the Taliban called for the protection of ancient artefacts in the country, sparking scepticism among observers."All have an obligation to robustly protect, monitor and preserve these artefacts" and sites in Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities declared in February that are "part of our country's history, identity and rich culture".Since their return to power and decades of war ended, archaeological finds -- particularly related to Buddhism -- have proliferated, with discoveries publicised by the eastern Laghman province, niches carved into rocks in Gowarjan village are believed to have been storerooms dating back to the Kushan empire, which 2,000 years ago stretched from the Gobi desert to the river in Laghman, carved Brahmi inscriptions have been found, along with a hollowed out stone slab used for pounding grapes for wine."It is said that Afghan history goes back 5,000 years -- these ancient sites prove it; people lived here," said Mohammed Yaqoub Ayoubi, head of the provincial culture and tourism department."Whether they were Muslim or not, they had a kingdom here," he told AFP, adding that the Taliban authorities afford "a great deal of attention" to the preservation of these nearby Ghazni province, the information and culture head Hamidullah Nisar echoed the uncovered Buddhist statuettes must be "protected and passed down to future generations because they are part of our history", he said.- 'They value them' -These relics would have likely met a different fate during the Taliban's first rule from 1996 to after Taliban founder Mullah Omar ordered the destruction of all Buddhist statues to prevent idol worship, the gigantic 1,500-year-old Buddhas of central Bamiyan province were pulverised -- the Taliban having been unmoved by international outcry."When they returned, people thought they would have no regard for historical sites," said Mohammed Nadir Makhawar, director of heritage preservation in Laghman, a position he held under the ousted Republic."But we see that they value them."In December 2021, the Taliban reopened the Afghan National Museum , where they had once destroyed pre-Islamic following year, they reached out to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to help preserve the historic Buddhist site of Mes Aynak, where there is also a copper mine under a development contract with a Chinese consortium."The request was unexpected," said Ajmal Maiwandi, the head of AKTC in Afghanistan, who even noted an "enthusiasm" from the authorities to support the conservation work."I think the Taliban have understood how much the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas damaged their reputation," said Valery Freland, director of the ALIPH foundation, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage."They seem concerned today with preserving material heritage in all its diversity," he experts have highlighted that the Taliban authorities do not extend the same concern to intangible heritage: music, dance, folklore and anything involving women remain a red line in their severe interpretation of while a historic synagogue in Herat city was preserved after the Taliban takeover, local authorities have recently resisted media attention on the site and the city's former Jewish community.- 'Cautiously optimistic' -Afghanistan has signed several conventions on heritage since the Taliban's first reign, with its destruction deemed a war crime in the risk of angering the international community -- whose recognition the Taliban seek -- Afghanistan's heritage represents "a potential lever for the country's tourism and economic development", said an industry expert speaking on condition of the authorities face two major challenges, the source said, pointing to a lack of financial resources and the departure -- following their takeover -- of "the archaeological and heritage elite".Security could hamper tourism ambitions as well; a group visiting Bamiyan was targeted in a deadly militant attack last the tiny Laghman museum, a plastic bag and newspaper serve as protection for the statuettes, one of which depicts the face of a Buddhist was discovered last year in the courtyard of a farm, among milling cows and says he needs help to properly conserve and study them to determine their precise age, a process hampered by four decades of war in has also proved an ongoing challenge, with no fewer than 30 sites still being "actively pillaged", according to a 2023 study by University of Chicago if preservation projects have not been disrupted, Maiwandi remains "cautiously optimistic"."The situation in Afghanistan can change quickly," he said.
Int'l Business Times
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Taliban Change Tune Towards Afghan Heritage Sites
In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan's millennia-old heritage, including pre-Islamic relics. Even months before their takeover in 2021 the Taliban called for the protection of ancient artefacts in the country, sparking scepticism among observers. "All have an obligation to robustly protect, monitor and preserve these artefacts" and sites in Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities declared in February that year. They are "part of our country's history, identity and rich culture". Since their return to power and decades of war ended, archaeological finds -- particularly related to Buddhism -- have proliferated, with discoveries publicised by the authorities. In eastern Laghman province, niches carved into rocks in Gowarjan village are believed to have been storerooms dating back to the Kushan empire, which 2,000 years ago stretched from the Gobi desert to the river Ganges. Also in Laghman, carved Brahmi inscriptions have been found, along with a hollowed out stone slab used for pounding grapes for wine. "It is said that Afghan history goes back 5,000 years -- these ancient sites prove it; people lived here," said Mohammed Yaqoub Ayoubi, head of the provincial culture and tourism department. "Whether they were Muslim or not, they had a kingdom here," he told AFP, adding that the Taliban authorities afford "a great deal of attention" to the preservation of these sites. In nearby Ghazni province, the information and culture head Hamidullah Nisar echoed the sentiment. Recently uncovered Buddhist statuettes must be "protected and passed down to future generations because they are part of our history", he said. These relics would have likely met a different fate during the Taliban's first rule from 1996 to 2001. Days after Taliban founder Mullah Omar ordered the destruction of all Buddhist statues to prevent idol worship, the gigantic 1,500-year-old Buddhas of central Bamiyan province were pulverised -- the Taliban having been unmoved by international outcry. "When they returned, people thought they would have no regard for historical sites," said Mohammed Nadir Makhawar, director of heritage preservation in Laghman, a position he held under the ousted Republic. "But we see that they value them." In December 2021, the Taliban reopened the Afghan National Museum, where they had once destroyed pre-Islamic artefacts. The following year, they reached out to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to help preserve the historic Buddhist site of Mes Aynak, where there is also a copper mine under a development contract with a Chinese consortium. "The request was unexpected," said Ajmal Maiwandi, the head of AKTC in Afghanistan, who even noted an "enthusiasm" from the authorities to support the conservation work. "I think the Taliban have understood how much the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas damaged their reputation," said Valery Freland, director of the ALIPH foundation, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage. "They seem concerned today with preserving material heritage in all its diversity," he added. However, experts have highlighted that the Taliban authorities do not extend the same concern to intangible heritage: music, dance, folklore and anything involving women remain a red line in their severe interpretation of Islam. And while a historic synagogue in Herat city was preserved after the Taliban takeover, local authorities have recently resisted media attention on the site and the city's former Jewish community. Afghanistan has signed several conventions on heritage since the Taliban's first reign, with its destruction deemed a war crime in 2016. Beyond the risk of angering the international community -- whose recognition the Taliban seek -- Afghanistan's heritage represents "a potential lever for the country's tourism and economic development", said an industry expert speaking on condition of anonymity. However, the authorities face two major challenges, the source said, pointing to a lack of financial resources and the departure -- following their takeover -- of "the archaeological and heritage elite". Security could hamper tourism ambitions as well; a group visiting Bamiyan was targeted in a deadly militant attack last year. In the tiny Laghman museum, a plastic bag and newspaper serve as protection for the statuettes, one of which depicts the face of a Buddhist goddess. It was discovered last year in the courtyard of a farm, among milling cows and goats. Ayoubi says he needs help to properly conserve and study them to determine their precise age, a process hampered by four decades of war in Afghanistan. Looting has also proved an ongoing challenge, with no fewer than 30 sites still being "actively pillaged", according to a 2023 study by University of Chicago researchers. Even if preservation projects have not been disrupted, Maiwandi remains "cautiously optimistic". "The situation in Afghanistan can change quickly," he said. Niches carved into rocks in Laghman province are believed to have been storerooms dating back to the Kushan empire, which 2,000 years ago stretched from the Gobi desert to the river Ganges AFP Even months before their return to power in 2021 the Taliban called for the protection of ancient artefacts in the country AFP The Taliban's call to preserve Afghanistan's heritage had been met with initial scepticism following their destructive first rule AFP A lack of financial resources poses a challenge to the Taliban authorities' ambitions for Afghanistan's archaeological heritage AFP
