Appendix 1 - The Stupa at Sripura

During our last visit to Sirpur in August-September, 2009, we came to learn that a Stupa has been discovered from an excavated site located to the South-east of the famous Laxman temple. According to the archeologist Sri A.K. Sharma, it had come out to light in May-June of that year, we visited the site, although we knew that it may not be assigned to the period of our survey. However we requested the archaeologist to provide us with a photograph of the site before the excavation and after the conservation, while we took a few photographs during the restoration. Further we requested him to send us a description of the Stupa. He informed us that the photographs and the description will be published shortly. We found the publication in Puramanthana (Current Advances in Indian Archaeology), Number 5, 2009. We produce a part of the description by Sri Sharma below:-

The original sand stone boulder and mud Stupa is spread in an area of nearly 14 x 14 m. The 4.30 m high Anda has been raised on a dressed lime stone platform which measures 13.20 x 12.80 m, east-west and north-south respectively. At present the platform consists of eight courses of lime stone rectangular blocks of different sizes and the extant height is 1.20 m. The first course of the dressed stones rest over to courses of boulders which form the base of the platform. These boulders have been kept on well rammed earth mixed with small pebble sand gravel brought from the river. It is learnt that quite a large number of dressed stones were taken away by a rich man from nearby Khamtarai village whose house is built of these dressed stones. This indicates that the platform was still higher.

The fourth course from the bottom dressed course has ribbed concave design on the outer surface.

In the center of the platform stands a semicircular Anda having diameter of 8.80 m. at the base and 2.90 m. at the top. The entire Anda is built of sand stone boulders. The boulders vary in size but on an average they are of the size 30 x 20 x 8 c.m. From the surface of the platform 26 courses of boulders in very vertical position are visible. Generally the bottom onces are of bigger size, slowly receding in size as we reach the top. The inside of the Anda is filled with boulders, pebbles and mud. From the condition of the deposit it is clear that while raising the height of the Anda, pebbles, boulders and earth were put layer by layer making them wet and then ramming to make solid maws. On top of Anda in the centre stands a stone Chatra. The stone Yasti has two grooves at equidistance. Unfortunately at the proximal and the Yasti is broken. In the two sockets two circular Chatra are present. Normally there are three Chatra’s but as the Chatra-Yasti is broken at the lower end the bottom most Chatra is missing. The middle Chatra is having diameter of 45 cm. while the top one has diameter 43 cm. The available height of Yasti is 70 cm. and girth 45cm.

From the available evidences it is clear that around the platform there was another circle at the ground level having diameter of nearly 18.0 m. built of huge undressed sand stone boulders. The space between the platform and the circle had baked brick flooring. The size of bricks vary from 40 x 24 x 8 to 38 x 23 x 7 cm. This Vedica was created in order to keep the sancity of stupa during Mauryan period. The whole constructional pattern of the original Stupa shows that it was built around 3^rd cent. B.C. during Asokan period and in this period normally these contained mortal remains of Buddha. As per order’s of Asoka these were raised on cross-roads. Sirpur, incidentally, falls on the main trade and religious routes from east to west i.e. Cuttack to Surat and north to south i.e. Varanasi to Kanya Kumari. So it is apparent that Sirpur was a great religious and trade centre right from at least 3^rd cent. B.C.to 15^th cent. A.D. This has been proved by the discovery of 79 bronze Buddhist images on 13-1-08 and silver coins of Sultanate and Mughal period along with a terracotta seal inscribed with Persian legend.

In later period around 3^rd century A.D. the platform was enlarged on the western side by creating a lower platform measuring 10.50 m. north-south and 5.10 m. east-west. This is clear from the evidence that in order to create this extra platform the western wall of original platform was demolished and after creating an inset of 0.60 m. the stones of four coursed platform were inserted inside the main platform. The second construction is of inferior quality as over the base comprising of small pebbles dressed lime stone blocks of different sizes have been laid thus not making even courses. Above the lower most course an inset of 0.20 m. has been created on all the three sides i.e. north, south and west. The total height is 0.70 m. In order to climb this addition two steps in the center of the western wall have been made, while only one step of laterite rectangular dressed stone has been made in the centre of the western wall. The solid proof that this addition was done in around 3^rd-4^th cent. A.D. is the engraving of compact alphabets reading as ह् ल (hla) on one of the two western steps in Gupta-Brahmi cfharacter of 4th cent. A.D. The second platform was created probbly toallow thedevotees to have a round of Anda. This Pradakshina path is 1.85 m. to 4.50 m. (at the corners) wide thus violating the earlier norms.

The discovery of this early Stupa takes back the date of Sirpur to 5th cent. B.C. and passes through Asokan, Mauryan, Satvahana, Sarabhapuriya to Panduvamsi periods i.e. upto at least 8th cetury A.D. a span of 1300 years. A terracotta model of the above Stupa was recovered from one of the Buddha Viharas. The 1.5 cm high Anda having diametyer of 2.1 cm. is encircled by a circle having 5.5 cm diametyer. The mode is approximately 300 times smaller than the main structure. The earliest Stupa at Pauni, brick built (40x30x10 cms) has diameter of 38.20 meter. The Pradakshina patha was about 2.78 meters. It belongs to the Maurya-Sunga period.