Kesaria Buddha Stupa:
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Kesariya Stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Kesariya located at a distance of 110 kilometres from Patna, Bihar.
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It is regarded as the tallest and the largest Buddhist stupa in the world.
Origin of Kesariya Stupa:
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The original Kesariya stupa probably dates to the time of Ashoka (circa 250 BCE) as the remains of a capital of a Pillar of Ashoka were discovered there.
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The current stupa dates to the Gupta Dynasty between 200 AD and 750 AD and may have been associated with the 4th century ruler Raja Chakravarti.
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The local people call Kesariya stupa as “Devala”, meaning “house of god”.
Discovered by:
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The Stupas exploration had started in the early 19th century after its discovery led by Colonel Mackenzie in 1814.
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Later, it was excavated by General Cunningham in 1861-62 and in 1998 an ASI team led by archaeologist K.K. Muhammad had excavated the site properly.
Significance:
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Two great foreign travellers, Faxian (Fahien) and Xuan Zang (Hsuan Tsang) had visited this place in ancient times and have left interesting and informative accounts of their travels.
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The discovery of gold coins bearing the seal of the famous emperor Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty goes on to further establish the ancient heritage of Kesaria.
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Archeological Survey of India(ASI) has declared Kesariya Stupa as a protected monument of national importance.