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From the last decade of
the eighteenth century British scholars in India got interested in
the rich cultural potentiality of the region. Sir William Jones and
others formed the 'Asiatic Society' in 1784. Under the aegis of this
organization scholars like James Prinsep, A. Cunningham and others
put a great effort to expose the ancient cultural and archaeological
potentiality on the region. Archaeological Survey of India started
the search of the possible location of Lumbini. First of all Lassen
had suggested that a part of Gorakhapur in India might be ancient
Kapilvastu. Cunningham purposed Nagar khas with ancient Kapilvastu
and Carllyle identified it with Bhuiladiha. He had proposed Lumbini
between Shepour and Burhapara in Uttar Pradesa. During this period
when Ranas were ruling in Nepal foreign research scholars were not
allowed to explore the cultural and archaealogical sites in the
Nepalese Terai. In March 1895, Fuhrer was sent to take photos of the
inscription on an Aśokan pillar supposed to have been found at
Bairat near Nepalgunj . At that time he did not find the Asokan
pillar, but only two broken pieces of an inscribed Asokan pillar
were found on the bank of Nigali sagar at Taulihawa. On the
information of the local people, the Nepalese team had already
started digging under the aegis of General Khadga Shamsher. Several
meters of earth around the pillar was dug, and there remained only
91.43 cm. from the base to be dug out. This Aśokan pillar must have
been seen by many of the Nepalese inhabitants of the Terai before
Major Singh saw it in 1893, and before Khadga Shamsher was
encouraged to do excavation by Fϋhrer on December 1, 1896. At the
end of November 1896, Fϋhrer had gone to Niglihawa to supervise the
contemplated excavations there. By a lucky chance he had gone to
meet Raņa at Bhagavanpur, near the village of Paderiya, in General’s
camp. Close to the camp, near the debris of four stūpas, stood a
slightly mutilated pillar rising about 3.04 m. above the ground. The
pillar inscription pointed out the birth place of Lord Buddha and
Lumbini garden as described in the Buddhist literature and Chinese
accounts. Surmounted horse capital, as described by Hiuen Tsiang,
may undoubtedly be buried under the surrounding ruins according his
version. When Fϋhrer saw the pillar on the first December, 1896,
only a small portion, about 3.64 m. high, was above the ground and
was covered with pilgrim records. The importance of the Rummindei
pillar inscription for understanding the history of Ancient India in
general and the sacred history of the Buddhism in particular was
published on 23rd December 1896. Dr. Bϋhler, A. Barth and Khadga
Samsher had also written articles about the exposed site of the
Lumbini and its importance in the Buddhist religion and culture.
Waddell has said that "...Dr. Fuhrer did not initate... he took a
copy of the inscription. This work was done by the Nepalese
officials".
Archaeological Activities and Findings
When the sensational news of the discovery of the Lumbini pillar
was published, British Government of India sent Mukherji to fix the
exact location of Kapilvastu. First of all he excavated Tilaura koţ
and its vicinity to identify ancient Kapilvastu. In this process, he
carried out extensive work and identified the eastern gate-complex
and structures associated with the life of Lord Buddha. He carried
out excavations and exposed brick pavement on the north-west and
south of the temple. He published the structural plan of Lumbini for
the first time in his monumental archeological report in 1901. In
course of excavation and from the surface some images were found in
1899, which were deposited in the dark room without any
iconographical study. The lower portion of the Nativity image of
Buddha's birth was found by Mukherji and Dr. Hoey tried to complete
it . Raņa had conducted excavation work during the years 1933-1939.
He got erected a high platform around Mayadevi temple, enlarged the
Śakya tank with successive terraces, built some rest houses and
provided drinking water facilities for the pilgrims. He did not
write any report of the excavation. Unfortunately, due to the
opening of the ground below the foundation, excavated-structures
collapsed due to the shifting of the earth when the rain water
entered in it. The antiquities found during the excavation were
dumped in the kitchen-room of the Buddhist monk of Lumbini
Dharmodaya Committee. The antiquities were not identified, nor the
place of their finding on the sites. Mitra had excavated a small
trench at the base of the Aśokan pillar to identify the nature of
brick enclosure described by Mukherji and to know the nature of the
pillar foundation. Mukherji has mentioned the description of the
pillar, Nativity sculpture of Buddha, platform of the temple,
terraces of brick-tank, stupas and catalogue of the findings unearth
in 1933-1934. A group of sixteen small votive stūpas, to the north
side of the temple, had completely disappeared which she had seen in
1957.
After the visit in 1967 of Late U-Thant, the then General Secretary
of the UNO, offered the help of the United Nations for the
development of Lumbini. H.M.G. Nepal also took keen interest to
explore and conserve the archaeological area of Lumbini. Scientific
excavation was carried out under the supervision of Banerjee,
formerly archaeological Advisor to H.M.G. from Indian Co-operation
Mission during 1966-72 along with Rijal, Archaeological officer of
the Lumbini Development Project, and Surya Bhakta Sangache,
architect. Firstly, the team earmarked the archaeological area of
the site, especially the ancient Lumbini village, and delimited it
from the rest of the area. The conservation of the archaeological
area was undertaken from 1970-71 by the authorities. The excavation
was mainly concentrated at the north-west corner of Mayadevi temple.
At a distance about 9.15m. north of Mayadevi temple, structural
remains of the room and stupas were exposed. The excavation to the
south of Mayadevi temple, around the old guest house, yielded the
structures of the monasteries of four periods and ten successive
layers of human deposition beginning from the sixth century BC. A
trace of the mud well, terracotta ring, human skull, one iron sickle
and a few bones of birds and animals, and a terracotta plaque mould
of Lord Buddha in bhumisparsa mudra belonging to the Gupta period
were available from her. In 1970 Tange prepared the architectural
master plan of the Lumbini garden and Lumbini Development Committee
organized various development programmes in the region. Rijal had
excavated with the patronage of the L.D.C. from 1975 to1983 in the
Lumbini. In 1977-78 excavation was carried out around the Mayadevi
temple covering an area of more than 300 square meters. In
continuation to the work of the last fiscal year 18 trenches were
exposed on the north of Mayadevi temple. He had exposed important
antiquities, viz. fragments of horse capital, a beautiful terracotta
sculpture of Bodhisattva and three terracotta human heads, a plaque
of Dharmachakra panel etc. In 1983, a well, containing a few Kushana
spouted pots and a five facetted jar used for Naga worship, were
exposed upto the bottom. In 1982 Banerjee had given suggestion to
excavate and conserve the site in a proper scientific method. During
1984-85 the excavation and conservation works was under taken by
Mishra, Archaeologist, Department of Archaeology, H.M.G. Nepal. Two
mounds LMB-1 and LMB-2, one around the Mayadevi temple and another
on the south-east of the temple respectively were excavated
(Pl.IV.2). LMB-1 area Asokan pillar, temples, stupas, vihars and
wells were located and LMB-2 was the area of ancient Lumbini
village, in which huts, shops, wells, roads and lanes etc were
located. The excavation in the area of mound LMB-1 six layers,
belonging to 4th century BC (before the arrival of Aśoka) (.) to
Khasiya Malla period (9th-13th. centuries AD) were exposed. The
structural remains of the vihars and stūpas were also found here. |
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