Srinagar/ Baramulla, Aug 29: The second phase of excavation at the Zehanpora archaeological site in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district began on Saturday, with archaeologists seeking further evidence of its Buddhist past and working to establish the extent and historical significance of the ancient settlement.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo formally inaugurated the new phase by carrying out the first dig at the site and later visited the excavation area to review the ongoing work.
The excavation is being conducted jointly by the Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS), University of Kashmir, and the J&K Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums (DAAM), also referred to as the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, J&K.
Prof Muhammad Ajmal Shah of the Department of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir, who is directing the excavation, briefed Dulloo and other dignitaries on the findings of the first phase and plans for the new excavation season.
The second phase is scheduled to continue for around three months and will focus on areas identified through drone imagery, mapping and ground surveys.
The team will seek to establish the extent of the site and investigate areas beyond those excavated earlier.
Prof Shah said the evidence recovered so far suggests that the site dates back nearly 2,000 years.
Dulloo said the findings suggested that Zehanpora was a 2000-year-old Buddhist archaeological site.
Speaking during his visit, Dulloo said excavation of the site had begun last year after the necessary permission was granted to the archaeological team.
He said the findings during the first phase were “surprising and interesting”, prompting authorities to grant permission for the second phase.
Dulloo said the excavation had provided important clues about the structures, tools and materials used by people associated with the ancient settlement.
He said the material recovered during the excavation would be scientifically examined, including through carbon dating, to establish its age and provide a clearer understanding of the site’s historical significance.
Dulloo said the ongoing excavation could eventually emerge as one of the largest archaeological and cultural excavations in the region and contribute significantly to the understanding of Kashmir’s ancient history.
He also expressed hope that the site could become a major tourist attraction in the coming years once excavation and conservation work is completed.
The first phase of excavation, which began in November last year, exposed a wall, a hall complex and an apsidal stupa. Archaeologists also uncovered the remains of several structures, including a hall believed to be an apsidal stupa, besides recovering iron and copper artefacts, needles, decorated and ornamental objects and other fragments.
Prof Shah said drone imagery had helped the team identify wall alignments and carry out excavation precisely at those points.
“We identified these wall alignments through drone imagery and carried out the excavation precisely at those points,” he said.
Prof Shah said there was a strong possibility that many structures and artefacts still lay preserved beneath the ground.
However, the archaeological site has also been affected by later development.
A canal constructed in the 1970s divided the site into two parts, while walls between the stupas were removed during its construction.
Zehanpora came into prominence after Prof Shah, while on a fellowship in France in October 2023, came across nearly 100 old photographs at the Guimet Museum, including images of three Buddhist stupa domes in Baramulla.
He said he immediately recognised the site after seeing the photographs.
“I immediately realised that I had visited that site in Baramulla. What struck me was that the domes in the photograph looked much larger than what we see today,” Prof Shah said.
The century-old photographs depicted three Buddhist stupa domes that appeared to be far larger than the remnants surviving at the site today.
The photographs helped the team link the Zehanpora mounds with the stupas shown in them.
Prof Shah later approached the International Buddhist Confederation in New Delhi and the J&K archaeology department for support.
The discovery has opened a wider inquiry into Kashmir’s Buddhist past.
Prof Shah said the findings could provide further insight into Kashmir’s Buddhist history and its connections with the wider network of ancient Buddhist centres.
“Kashmir was a major centre of Buddhism in ancient times. It was here that Hinayana Buddhism evolved into Mahayana Buddhism, giving the religion a new philosophical and cultural form,” he said.
The excavation team will also examine a possible link between the Zehanpora site and the Fourth Buddhist Council, traditionally associated with Kashmir.
Prof Shah has suggested a possible connection with the council, believed to have been held in Kashmir during the first century CE.
He also referred to Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang)’s account of his visit to Kashmir from 631 CE to 633 CE.
According to Shah, Xuanzang entered Kashmir through Baramulla, visited several monasteries, and spent a night at Uskur, an ancient Buddhist site near the town.
“This suggests that Xuanzang must have visited the monastery at Zehanpora as well,” Prof Shah said.
The old road to Kashmir from Muzaffarabad also passed through Zehanpora, he said.
Archaeologists say further excavation could offer new insights into Kashmir’s Buddhist heritage and its links with the wider network of ancient Buddhist centres.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also mentioned the site during the 129th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on December 28 last year, highlighting the old French photograph that helped archaeologists connect the Zehanpora mounds with the Buddhist stupas.
Following the inauguration, Dulloo and other dignitaries toured the site and viewed the antiquities and archaeological remains recovered during the first phase.
Dulloo described the site as “very rich” and congratulated the University of Kashmir’s Vice Chancellor, scholars and students of the archaeology department for their work.
He assured government support for its protection and said efforts would be made to notify it as a monument of national importance.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla Syed Fakhruddin Hamid assured the district administration’s cooperation for the successful completion of the project.
Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, Prof Nilofer Khan reiterated the university’s continued support for the excavation.
She congratulated Shah and other faculty members for initiating and completing the first phase and expressed hope that the second phase would yield more discoveries.
Principal Secretary Culture Brij Mohan Sharma, Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums K K Sidha, and SSP Baramulla Gurinder Pal Singh were also present at the inauguration.
