Diamond Triangle of Odisha: One of the Important Buddhist Site

 Golden Triangle tour is counted among the most important sites of Odisha. Like that there is another very important site, which is referred to as the Diamond Triangle of Odisha, and is a very important part of India’s Buddhist heritage.

The destinations included within this triangle tour are:

Lalitgiri initially was confused for Pushpagiri and in the 1980’s further excavation at this place revealed that Pushpagiri was a separate site located elsewhere. The excavations over the years also revealed many statues of Buddha and inscriptions which was referred to have been from the Mahayana and Hinayana form of Buddhism thus it can be easily said that this site of Lalitgiri existed even before the Bhauma Kara Dynasty patronizing the Vajrayana form of Buddhism.

 Ratnagiri, true to its name it is indeed a gem. It is the most excavated of the sites and is spread over a hilltop offering a grand view of the surrounding among the diamond triangle of Odisha. Excavated in the 1960s the site yielded two rectangular monasteries and a large stupa surrounded by smaller ones, dating back to the 6 – 12 century AD. Its strategic location protected it from invaders and provided seclusion to the monk.

 Udaygir, the hill of the rising sun, is the largest of the three archaeological sites of Ratnagiri, Udaygiri & Lalitgiri. Sadly it is the least excavated. Excavation at Udaygiri started in the 1960s, and have been carried out in several phases, and continues to this day. The archeological findings are classified into two parts, namely Udaygiri I and Udaygiri II.

 Located about 100 km North-East of Bhubaneswar the Diamond Triangle of Odisha, is the most important Buddhist site in the state, but sadly it is least promoted.