Noble laureate Amartya Sen had a first hand view of excavations at the ancient Buddhist monastery site of Telhara in Nalanda district of Bihar which finds mention in Chinese traveller Heuen Tsang's book.
Sen, who is the Chancellor of the Nalanda International University, visited the excavation site, 33-km west of the famous ancient ruins of the Nalanda Mahavihara, on Thursday.
A small village in the Hilsa subdivision of the Nalanda District of Bihar, Telhara was visited by the Chinese traveller Heuen Tsang in the 7th Century AD., and it was mentioned as "Teleadaka" in his account, Director State Archaeology Atul Kumar Verma, who accompanied Sen, said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who takes deep interest in ancient historical sites, is taking special interest in excavations at Telhara and has announced that specimen of the site would be housed in the proposed International Museum in Patna.
The site having potential for adding a new leaf in the glorious history of Bihar's past was introduced to Sen by Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Art and Culture department, Verma, who is also director of the excavations at the site, said.
"What a wonderful and inspiring site-really thrilling! And so skillfully excavated and restored. Congratulations on what you are doing for Indian history and archaeology," is how the noble laureate recorded his impression in the visitors' book, Verma said.
Heuen Tsang has given a graphic account of a cluster of as many as seven Buddhist monasteries flourishing at the Telhara site, where about a thousand monks studied under the Mahayana school of Buddhism.
Giving details of findings at the site so far, Verma said in course of excavation at the site a good number of Pala sculptures have been discovered, including both Buddhist and Hindu deities.
The site, under the Turkish rulers became an important settlement of Muslims during the medieval period. This place is also mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari as Tiladah and is shown as one of the 46 mahals of Sarkar Bihar, he said.
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