“Dr. J.K. Tiwari has taken over as the incharge of Archaeological Museum Vaishali from Dr. N.K. Sinha”
” Today, on 16th August, the hindi version of the official website of Archaeological Museum Vaishali was launched by Sri M S Chauhan, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Patna circle by clicking of the mouse button of PC”
” sri Pravin Srivastava, IAS, D.G. ASI, launching the web site of Archaeological Museum, Vaishali on 5th Feb. 2013″.
Vaishali museum was established by Archaeological Survey of India in 1971 to preserve and display the antiquities found during exploration and excavation of sites associated with ancient Vaishali which was one of the oldest and largest cities of India in early historical period. Lord Mahavir is belied to be born here. However Vaishali is best known for its association with Buddha and Buddhism.
The mucleus of this museum was a small collection of antiquities by a local villager in pre Independence days. This collection was subsequently taken over by a local museum controlled by Vishali Sangh. With the establishment of present museum by the Archaeological Survey of India, all the antiquities were donated to it by the Vaishali Sangh. In addition the antiquities found through explorations and excavation of adjoining sites by different agencies over a long span of time are also housed in this museum. The construction of building was completed in 1967 but it was opened for the public in 1971.
The museum faces to the east. It consist of four galleries around a central courtyard. The museum possesses about two thousand antiquities of which about 650 are on display. The antiquities belong to different periods stetaching from 600 B.C. to 1200 A.D. and throw significant light on Maurya, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta and early medival cultures.
In the museum is placed a large fibre glass scale model 0f Kolhua site which was excavated by Archaeological Survey of India during 1988-99 and has emerged as the most revealing structural site of ancient Vaishali. A large schematic section of Vaishali showing its cultural sequence is also displayed for better understanding of the site.
A prize collection of the museum is a sctlpture of Buddha carved out in black basalt stone and is datable to pala period (9th – 10th Century A.D.) The deity is shown seated cross legged over double petalled lotus in bhumisparsh mudra under the bodhi tree representing the enlightenment. He is shown with a beautifully delineated trefoil crown and wears attractive ornaments like necklace, earrings, etc. The stele is also well decorated with fine details.
There is a headless sculpture of Buddha in bhumisparsh mudra on the pedestal of which is shown monkey offering honey to Buddah representing the event of Vaishali Miracle. Another important sculpture is a small votive stupa of black basalt stone at the base of which are carved, in the four directions, Buddha in different mudras. In addition there are sculptures of Brahmanical affiliation like Vishnu, Uma-Maheswar etc. A crocodile faced pranala for draining out water from temple is also interesting.
The collection of moulded bricks and brick tiles from a significant group of collection. On one of the brick tile a beautiful female head is carved with a very fine delineation of features like eyes, nose and lips which enliven the image. The head dress, hair band and ear lobes are also well depicted. Another brick tile depicts a seated crowned Bodhisttva in abhay mudra.
There are a large number of pots and potsherds of which the Northern Black Polished ware are remarkable for its shining glaze sometimes with a reddish or golden shade. A variety of shapes are there like basin, bowl, dish, jar, handi & plate.
Mother goddess, mother & child, naigamesh and other terracoptta human figurines represented by bust and torso of male as well as female are one of the main attractions of the museum together with terracotta animal figureness like elephant, horse, bull, dog, monkey, snake,ram, birds etc. terracotta cart, rattle, weight, bead, ball, dabber, skin rubber, seal & sealing and moulds are also noteworthy. The terracotta toilet pan discovered from the swastika shaped monastery at Kolhua is a unique collection in the museum.
The museum has a rich collection of coins which includes the silver and copper punch marked coins, the copper cast coins and the Islamic coins of silver and copper. The beads made of terracotta and semi precious stones alongwith pendants, ear studs etc. indicate the high taste of ornamentation. Other antiquities include bangles, antler, bone point, antimony rod, dice, stone mould, crucible & casket, ivory objects, iron and copper implements like knife, nail, bell, arrow head etc.
With such a rich collection, the museum enlivens the life style of ancient Vaishali and establishes that museum is not simply a collection of antiquities.
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Kolhua:
Chronology: On the basis of stratigraphical evidences both the stupa and pillar are contemporary. The discovery of a polished fragment of a stone chhatravati of chunar sandstone along with broken lid of relic casket mode in soap stone definitely put the Kolhua stupa and pillar to the Mauryan period. The square bricks (30 X 30 X 8 Cms) of the stupa are similar to the square bricks found from Raja Vishal ka Garh.
On the basis of pottery, antiquities and structural activities three cultural sequence have been marked on the site from NBPW level (earliest level reached on so far) to Gupta / Post Gupta period.
The excavations conducted by Archaeological Survey of India have unearthed remains of Kutagarshala, Swastika shaped monastery, a tank, votive stupas and miniature shrines in addition to the main stupa and the Ashokan Pillar.
Pillar:-
The pillar locally known as Bhim Sen ki lathi is about 12.00 metres high from the present surface level. Monolithik polished sandstone column with a square abacus surmounted with a lion capital. The statue of seated lion is not facing, with its mouth open as if snarling and its tongue slightly protruding. It is one of the earliest six great monolithic pillars erecated by Ashoka probably to mark the different stages of the journey to Nepal which he undertook in the 21st year of his region i.e. C. 249 B.C., in order to visit same of the holy sites of Buddhism. This pillar does not bear the usal Mauryan edict. But there are a few letters in Brahmi and shell characters (Shankha lipi) of Gupta period, & few scribbled over by visitors including Reaben Burrow (1792), a distinguished mathematician and astronomer, and one of the earliest members of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Limited excavations near the lion pillar revealed the base of the pillar resting on a sandstone slab of 2.20 m which was placed over a greenish grey sandy deposit. The entire shaft, except a length of 1.68 m from the base, was polished.
Stupa:
The brick stupa was erected to commemorate the event of offering honey to Buddha by the monkey chief. It was originally built during Mauryan period (C.3rd Century B.C.) and subsequently enlarged in Kusan period (1st – 2nd Century A.D.) by raising the hight and providing brick paved circumambulatory path. Further brick encasing took place during Gupta and late Gupta periods.
During clearance of debris from the centre of the stupa, the remains of a double walled square chamber (brick size: 30X30X8 cms) was traced. A fragment of Chhatravali and a broken lid of casket (both bearing typical Mauryan polish), gold leaves and semi-precious stones (some of them embedded in bricks) are the important antiquities found during excavation. Besides, a headless seated figure of the Buddha and a crowned head of the Buddha were found on the stupa. Some Buddhist statues of the Pala period were also found, the best of which is a large image of seated Buddha, wearing a crown and necklace.
Further excavation in between the pillar and the stupa revealed successive floors made of brickbats & surkhi and plastered with kankar lime.
Votive stupas : Votive stupas are the major structural activity around the pillar and stupa area. About 330 numbers of votive stupas have been exposed till now with variant shapes and designs which include circular, squarish, rectangular, damaru and cylindrical votive stupas decorated with cut bricks and overlaid by lime plaster. It is interesting to note that all of them are provided with brick jelly lime plastered flooring which had witnessed successive flooring. These are also found in groups are two, four and five votive stupas. A niche of one of the votive stupas yielded a beautiful stucco head of the Buddha inscription of Buddhist creed was recently traced on one of the bricks of votive stupa.
Tank: The adjoining tank has been identified as ‘Markat-hrad’, supposedly dug by the monkeys for Buddha. The brick lined seven tiered tank measuring approximately 65X35 meters in dimension has two bathing ghats (terrace) on southern and western wings not visible to each other due to angular disposition. No other monastic site in India has such a large tank with a system of privacy at its bathing ghats.
Kutagarshala: Kutagarshala represents the spot where Buddha used to stay during the rainy seasons and addressed his followers for the last time after the announcement of his approaching nirvana. According to Mandhatri sutra of the Divya Avadana, the Kutagar which means the upper storied hall, was situated on the bank of the Markat- hrad or monkey tank. Excavations have exposed three phases of its construction. Originally it was a small chaitya built during Sunga-Kusana period (2nd Century B.C. to 3rd Century A.D.). Subsequently it was enlarged to a lofty temple was converted into a monastery by providing a number of partition walls during post-Gupta times.
Swastika Monastery : The other monastery which looks like a swastika on plan has twelve rooms, three on each arm attached to common verandah around an open central courtyard with the entrance towards east. The monastery has a toilet chamber attached to its southern wall. It was constructed during Gupta period probably for nuns.
OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS IN AND AROUND VAISHALI
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