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ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Like most site museums in India, this one also owes its genesis to an English General accidentally stumbling upon some ancient ruins around 1818. Eventual archaeological explorations revealed one of the richest sculptural finds of Buddhist heritage.
The original stupa was started here by Emperor Ashoka. Successive generations continued to renovate and embellish the original brick stupa with exquisitely sculpted stone. This period of superb creativity stretched between 3rd century BC and 13th century AD, blending Hindu and Buddhist styles and building a complex of stupas, temples, monasteries, etc. that remain unparalleled in excellence of form and beauty of detail.
There is a lion capital of an Ashoka pillar here very similar to the one found at Sarnath, the latter now the emblem of India. Other notable sculptures found here include statues of the Buddha, several bodhisattvas and early Hindu period statues of Ganesh, Mahishasuramardini among others.
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