Kesaria stupa
Mauryan era stupa in Bihar, India
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History
The site's exploration began in the 19th century, from its discovery by Colin Mackenzie in 1814 to Alexander Cunningham’s proper excavation in 1861–62. An excavation was conducted by archaeologist K. K. Muhammed of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1998. The original Kesariya stupa probably dates to the time of Ashoka (circa 250 BCE), as the remains of a capital of a Pillar of Ashoka were discovered there.
The stupa may even have been inaugurated earlier, as it corresponds in many respects to the description of the stupa erected by the Licchavis of Vaishali shortly after the death of the Buddha to house the alms bowl he gave them. The current structure dates to the Pala period. The ASI has declared the stupa a protected monument of national importance. Despite being a popular tourist attraction, Kesariya has yet to be developed and a large part of the stupa remains under vegetation.
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Relationship with Borobodur
It has been noted that the Kesariya stupa shares many architectural similarities with the Buddhist temple located in Indonesia, Borobodur which hints at the travel of ritualistic texts and ideas between the Pala and Srivijaya domains. Both monuments share a circular mandala form with terraces containing figures of Buddha in the niches. Like Borobodur, Kesariya is also built atop of a hill. The excavated chambers at Kesariya show a combination of statues in bhumisparsha (of Akshobhya) and dhyanimudra (of Amitabha) on the same side, whereas Borobudur houses four Jina Buddhas, displaying their respective mudras on the four sides of the monument.
In addition, a large stone slab that is black in colour was also discovered at Kesaria. This contained a script from the 10th-12th known as Siddhamātṛkā that was used in Java.
Both sites use a combination of square and circular terraces, although Kesaria is dominated by more circular forms. Both sites do not have their tops visible from the ground level, follow numerological patterns, and have roughly the same dimensions as well.