Ancient monastery found in Modi hometown

The ongoing excavations and studies of the archeological site at Vadnagar has thrown up a startling discovery — buried deep beneath a school compound could be a Buddhist monastery complex belonging to a period between the 2nd and 4th century BC.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been carrying out excavations for several years in Ghaskol, situated in the town where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was born. After excavations in 2014 and in 2015, the remnants of a 1,900-year-old monastery was found in 2015 at the site, along with several artefacts and material dating to the era including pottery, lead and coins. In 2007, residential cells of a monastery were found, while in 2016, the team unearthed a complex water management system.

While the ASI has been carrying out its excavations at Ghaskol, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) had been carrying out experiments with a new technology in the area. And their endeavour has borne fruit. Using a technology called Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), the IIT team found "cultural deposits of 20 metres deep in the school area." A report tabled by the IIT team to the ministry of culture recently states that the GPR study "substantiates the structural remains of the monastery".

However, it added that with the school and other buildings in the area, excavations could be a bit difficult now. The team has hailed the discovery as "extremely important" and said it carries the weight of "a lot of potential".

The IIT's findings is likely to be taken over by the ASI for excavations at the site.

The site is situated in the ancient city of Anandpur, which is known for its shell bangle industry and for being an important Buddhist site. The place found mention in the memoirs of the 7th century Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang, who said that there were ten such monasteries.

The Centre has been keen on turning Vadnagar into a popular Buddhist tourist destination.