A Buddhist symbol called ‘Votive Stupa’ was recovered during an excavation at West Bengal’s Malda court. Historians are now discussing its origin because no traces of Buddhists were found in the English Bazar area of before this. The excavation was going on in the court premises for the construction of a new building. 

This is when ancient stones were discovered, roughly triangular in shape, with designs cut all around and small holes on the top. At first, some people thought that this was the stone used for hoisting the flag, while others said this old stone is a ‘Shivalinga’. 

However, it was later concluded that the stone dates back to the Pala-Sena period and is called the “Votive Stupa", a Buddhist symbol. The theory made logical sense because a Buddhist monastery has been discovered in the village of Jagjivan Pur in Malda. 

According to some books, the votive stupa is usually built over the remains of a Buddhist monk, with the name of Lord Buddha or a small image inscribed 1000 or more times. Sometimes, it was arranged in four separate grooved parts and the upper quadrangular part consisted of a ghee lamp or a lit incense. It was customary to pray around it, the book states. 

In general, there was a popular belief that the circumambulation of the votive stupa would lead to auspiciousness. Starting from Nalanda-Vikramshila to Sanchi-Sarnath, a lot of votive stupas can be found in various Buddhist places. Votive stupas are rare but not impossible to be found in the districts of once Gaurbanga now Malda, which were dominated by Buddhist influence during the Pala rule, according to experts. History researcher Rishi Ghosh said ancient history came up while digging the soil in the court premises. 

As Malda was once ruled by the Pala and Sena dynasty and they were ardent preachers of Buddhism, said Monalisa Saha, a historian. On the other hand, history researcher Dr. Rishi Ghosh said, “Some people say that it’s from the British era but the majority including me believe that it’s during the Pala-Sena era, around the 12th Century." 

Some people also believe the stone is from the English period, but without proper observation, no firm conclusion can be drawn. 

Image source: civilsdaily