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It is indeed our misfortune that we are so indifferent to our past. And so perhaps we don’t learn to care for important traces of our past.

Today, the beautiful artefacts rock cutting scattered in Sultanganj of Bhagalpur district which are contemporary of Nalanda Mahaviharer of Gupta period are facing destruction. The resurrection of Nalanda Mahavihara is a phenomenal phenomenon before the whole world today where today some new unknown secrets of the past are being revealed regularly.  Indeed, the whole world is keenly watching the researches that are going on in Nalanda today on the ancient time, mainly on  Buddha, Buddhism, the than  contemporary international diplomacy, business, politics and on many subjects.

The sclupture of Ganesha on rock cutting form at Sultanganj.

Well, have any of us ever thought why Hindu Goddesses and Gods were placed so prominently in Sultanganj in Gupta periods’ rock cutting arts  (320-550 Common Era) ? While the contemporary Gupta period art of Nalanda, one of the important pillars of Buddhism in India at that time, is considered as the manifestation of the ideology of Buddhism.

Former head of  postgraduate department of history, Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University,  Prof. Rajiva Kumar Sinha in his book “Understanding Early Bihar” mentioned : “at the ideological level Buddhism exhorted the accumulation and reinvestment of wealth in trade and commerce, at the societal level Buddhist monasteries provided status to the traders and others occupational groups, while at the economic level, the monasteries were responsible of information and necessary skills as writings and medicine…”.

Narshingha on rock cutting formet at Sultanganj.

The political foresight of the Gupta rulers is an unmistakable sign of the massive rise in Nalanda Mahavihara. The Gupta rulers were much more apprehensive about the rising rivalry among the Buddhists and growing Hindu forces at that time. They had no option to promote ‘Buddhist Nalanda’ in the spectrum of the world politics but on the same time they were much apprehensive of the possible erosion on their Hindu support bases. The than new partnership among Brahmincal concept and rising trends of emotionalism  among non-Buddhists (who were in sizable numbers) was indeed an ‘invisible threat for the Guptas, the patrons of Buddhism. There are many references of visiting of Buddha along with many religious leaders of other faiths on and off at Nalanda mainly for preaching mission.

Excellenet rock cutting scluptures laying in utter neglect state at Sultanganj.

The contemporary Gupta rulers  came across  those religious leaders who visited Nalanda frequently  and most likely found a way to maintain social harmony and social peace. Places like Sultanganj, Bounsi (Mandar Hills, ancient name was Valisha) etc which were some prominent religious places or center of trading and other important activists probably came under the scanner of the Gupta rulers inside their territories. To maintain social equilibrium and to show their sympathy towards the followers of the school of Hindu/ Brahmincal concepts, they selected the hills like Ajgaibee Nath , Murli Pahar  and other public places to display the famous rock cutting structures of different Hindu God and Goddesses, claim a section of historians. Gupta king Skandagupta granted land for a Vishnu temple (Bhitari stone pillar inscription) was an example of such religious tolerance of the ruler of the dynasty in yesteryears. “As it appear the Gupta rulers policy of dispersal of patronage across a wide spectrum of beneficiaries made a good political sense as it permitted the forgoing of ties and alliance with a variety of social groups and religious communities,” Prof Sinha claims while giving the reference of noted historian, Sukumar Dutt.

Nobody takes care : a precious rock cutting structure laying neglected.

Recently, some mainstream media once have projected the  ‘Gupta-age’  rocket cutting on the hillocks at Sultanganj, existence of which is almost destroyed today. The site is located adjacent to the Ajgaibinath  Shiva temple, around 306 kilometres east  of state capital Patna and nearly 28 km west to Bhagalpur city.

As per the media report , researchers at the Bhagalpur museum have demanded to declare the hill as protected monument after have stumbled upon ancient stone carvings at the foothills of Murli Pahar, a hillock on the banks of river Ganga in Sultanganj block of the district. However, it was not a new thing; several demands for the conservation of the site were done earlier.

The excellent art works of Gupta period at Sultanganj.

The report further said that the  team of researchers, led by curator of Bhagalpur government museum, Shiv Kumar Mishra, carried out a survey of the Murli Pahar foothills recently when they first noticed  the carvings, which, they say, came out after Ganga returned to its course after several years.

According to the report, Mishra, in a letter to the state archaeology directorate, has urged Archaeological survey of India (ASI) and  INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) to take a joint venture for the conservation and restoration of around 50-60 stone carvings of Hindu deities and other religious symbols, which could date back to Gupta period (6th century). Mishra mentioned that the stone carvings or the rock cutting arts  have suffered damages due to recurring floods and exposure of extreme weather conditions over the years.

He pointed out the possibility that the  rock cutting arts  might have been under the streams of Ganga, which used to flow near the foothills of Ajgaibinath temple about 30-40 years ago. But recently the carvings surfaced after Ganga changed its course slightly and moved away from Murli Pahar. Carvings of Lord Vishnu, Surya, Shiva, Ardhanarishwar, Ganesh, Durga, besides Lord Buddha, Navagrah, Rudra Pad and other spiritual symbols have come out in the open on stones at the foothills. “There are some scripts written in Brahmi, which suggest the age of the carvings,” as claimed in  the report prepared by the researchers.

“If explored properly, there are chances that some older carvings even from pre-historic age could be found, as the civilization thrived mainly on the banks of rivers,” former director of KP Jaiswal Research Institute, Chitranjan Prasad Sinha said recently to media at Patna. He too demanded for urgent conservation of Sultanganj’s treasure troves.

The fine rock cutting are now on the verge of destroy.

It is important to remember here that during the laying of the Bhagalpur-Patna railway line, the Buddha statue of copper found during digging of soil in Sultanganj by British engineer, E B Harris, which is now housed in Barmigham Museum, is considered the best example of art of Gupta era.

Some officials at the office of archaeology director, Patna on condition of anonymity  however said the government was reluctant to let the archaeological remains pertaining to Hindu religion come into spotlight as it might risk the peace of this communally sensitive region, as there was an old mosque atop Murli Pahar. Contrary to  such ‘secular’ strategy of the government, many historians and archaeologists said that the mosque there is around three to four centuries old and followers of Islamic faiths do occasionally visit it.

Who will be the conservator of such excellent art works ?

“The biggest example of how we are letting the vestiges of our past get destroyed can be found in Sultanganj,” alleged Anita Kumari, a former student of  department of history, Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University.