Orissa's neglected past

An ancient city, which could throw light on the early urban evolution in Orissa, is lying neglected in a cluster of villages at Radhanagar, Jajpur district.

"Human habitation and agricultural land over the site has destroyed one of the early historical cities," says archaeologist Jitu Mishra, who recently discovered a fortified settlement there, "Several Buddha images has already been converted by the villagers. As many as six big villages have come up over the fortification wall."

The site was discovered by historian Karuna Sagar Behera during the 1980s. The discovery of several relics resembling those from the Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri Buddhist sites indicated the place had once been a Buddhist city.

But the recent finding of a fortified settlement, akin to Sishupalgarh, a major historical city in the Indian subcontinent, reveals that it was also one of Orissa's three early urban centres.

Neither the state archaeological department nor the Archaeological Survey of India have excavated the area which, scholars feel, could throw light on Orissa's early history.

A fortified wall, 1,200 metres high, rouletted and knobbed ware, a terracotta ear lobe and ceramic shreds with lotus wheel decoration -- all discovered by Mishra -- prove that Radhanagar was inhabited by a group of artisans, craftsmen, traders, monks and nuns in the early Christian era.

Mishra, a research fellow at the Pune-based Deccan college's archaeological department said the surface findings from the site indicated that Radhanagar was developed as a gateway of trade for Buddhist delegates.

According to Dr Behera, the site, surrounded by a number of Buddhist monasteries, needs a detailed excavation. He described it as 'unique' which, if excavated, could give an 'idea about the process of urbanisation in Orissa'.

Dr Behera suspects the site was known as Rajanagar (the place of rajas) during the Christian era. It was named Radhanagar, a word derived from goddess Radha, during the late medieval period.

Mishra said that two of the three early historical cities discovered in Orissa -- Sishupalgarh near the state capital and Jaugarah in Ganjam district -- had already been excavated as they were associated with the Ashoka rock edict.

Unfortunately, Radhanagar, despite its vast rich archaeological remains, is yet to be studied.

Mishra said the site was important because it was traced on the alluvial tract of the Mahanadi delta and had potential agricultural resources.

He said one exciting discovery from the site was an ear lobe which resembled a Buddhist sprig having a cylindrical stack, a conical terminal and disc-like upper edge. Though similar lobes had been discovered from Sishupalgarh, this one was a better specimen -- it was very fine, intact and revealed skilled plasticity.

Mishra said he had also discovered black and red ware potteries.

UNI