ABOUT THE
Attraction
Located in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, a number of historic artefacts have been excavated at Itkhori. Among the discoveries are 104 beautifully sculpted Bodhisattvas and four statues of Buddha sculpted on each side of a stupa-like structure. One of the rock inscriptions of Mahendra Pala at Itkhori indicates that the Pratihara ruler came in control of the bordering areas of Chotanagpur during second half of the 9th century A.D.In the course of further excavations, some sculptures of black stone had been recovered belonging to the late Pala period, which, scientific study proves, are related to Buddhism.
It is also believed that Buddha made his final journey as a Bodhisattva (a person who can achieve nirvana but delays it through compassion for suffering beings) from Itkhori, before he attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. Another legend says that Siddhartha’s maternal aunt came to Itkhori searching for him but couldn’t find him there, prompting her to say,“iti khoya” (meaning “I have lost him” in Pali language). Hence, it is believed that Itkhori is an altered form of “iti khoya”. Earlier in 2018, it was announced by the state government that the world’s tallest Buddhist stupa will be built here. The nearest major city is Hazaribagh, 50 km away
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Sirpur
Excavations have uncovered 12 Buddhist viharas and monolithic statues of Buddha along with other structures and idols.
Dhauligiri
Dhauligiri holds a very important place in the spread of Buddhism. It is said that the plains adjacent to the Dauli hill is where the Kalinga war was fought in 262 BC, after which, Mauryan emperor Ashoka, one of the most prominent followers of Buddhism, renounced violence and took to Lord Buddha's path.
Lalitgiri
With a Buddhist complex dating back to the 1st century AD, Lalitgiri is said to be one of the oldest Buddhism sites excavated in India.