Founded: March 15 2002
Last updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2002

Archaeology Department finds several historic locations at the Sujata mound
Bodhgaya, 1st April. Since the 7th of January six archaeologists from the Patna department of the Archaeological Survey of India have been slowly excavating the Sujata mound in the historic village of Bakraur. The bricks and other items recovered in the excavation are being collected and and kept safely.
According to the old people of the area excavations have been carried out previously. But seeing the scale of the present excavations people are fairly excited. People say that the location has not previously reached its full development. It is said that in the present excavations the path for circumambulating the stupa and the surrounding protective walls foundations have been revealed. Excavations are continuing to the East, West and North of the Stupa.
It is notable that last year on a tour of Bodhgaya the central Tourism Minister Jagmohan asked for a universal development plan for Bodhgaya to be developed by the Tourism Secretariat and the District Officer and District Magistrate. A scheme costing about one hundred crores [100,000,000 Rs] was submitted to the secretariat. In which apart from the excavation of this stupa was the building of a bridge to be a direct link from Domahane to Dungeshwari Hill.

Texts and Translations © Peter G. Friedlander unless otherwise indicated.