Kauvadol
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Kauvadol (कौवाडोल) is the name of a hill about 6 Km south-west from the Barabar Hills and about 20 Km east from Bela Railway Station in Gaya district of Bihar, India.
Variants
Kauvadola (कौवाडोल) (AS, p.903)
Location
District - Gaya, Road- 30 km from Gaya district HQ. 20 km from Bela, North-East of Belaganj Block. Landmark - 6 km of south-west from Barabar Hill. [1]
History
The name literally means "crows swing," which, it is said, is derived from the fact that a huge block of stone was once lying so well balanced on the existing pinnacle of the hill that it used to rock when a crow alighted on it. Below the hill are the ruins of an ancient Vihara that surround the area. The site was first noticed by Buchanan during his tour of observations for the East India Company in the year 1811–12. Later, Major Kittoe, Cunningham and Beglar also visited the site and noted the ruins of the Vihara.
Importance – This place is still not much explored by tourists although the infrastructure has improved a lot during the last decade. A magnificent ancient Buddha statue of black stone in a sitting posture, measuring about 8ft tall had been excavated from this site. The sculpture has been placed in a small shrine and next to the shrine lay the scattered pillars, some only visible partly above the ground as the remains of a Buddhist monastery which are still to be excavated. Few yards away, at the foothill rocks of the hill there are fantastic engravings of numerous Hindu gods and goddesses. Most of the carvings are of goddess Durga and other deities like Ganesha and Shivlingas.[2]
Next to a humble village lies one of the fantastic archaeological sites yet to be discovered from the grave of the past. Under a huge peepal tree the tiny shrine protects the 8’ black stone Buddha sculpture which was found at this place. Outside, below the tree, the glorious past lay silently with few pillars strewn around and rest only partly visible from underneath the earth.[3]
शीलभद्र विहार
शीलभ्रद्र विहार (AS, p.903): ज़िला गया, बिहार राज्य में कौवाडोल की पहाड़ी। प्रसिद्ध चीनी यात्री युवानच्वांग ने इसे देखा था। [4]