ASI Uncovers Megalithic Burial Sites in Kerala and Buddhist Antiquities in Odisha
| Location | Discoveries | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Malampuzha, Kerala | Over 110 megalithic burial sites | Sites spread across 45 hectares, marking one of the largest megalithic burial grounds in Kerala. Burials include cist graves, stone circles, urns, dolmens, and dolmenoid cists. |
| Use of granite slabs, boulders, and laterite stones | Structures built without binding materials like cement or mortar, typical of Iron Age societies. | |
| Ratnagiri, Odisha | Ancient shrines, votive stupas, brick stupa, chaitya complex, Buddha heads | Findings include a crisscross brick stupa, colossal Buddha statues, and Sanskrit inscriptions. |
| Monolithic votive stupas and greyware pottery | Stupas feature deities like Tara, Chunda, Manjusri, and Dhyani Buddha. Pottery sheds light on cultural and artistic traditions. | |
| Mahayana to Vajrayana Buddhism transition | Evidence of the spread of Vajrayana Buddhism from Eastern India to Southeast Asia. Ratnagiri was a major center of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage during the early medieval period. |