Context: 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) stumbled upon a 1,300 year old stupa right in the middle of a mining site in Odisha’s Jajpur district from where Khondalite stones were supplied for the beautification project around the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

About the News:

• ASI has unearthed a Buddhist stupa at the Khandolite mining site at Parabhadi in Sukhuapada hamlet in Jajpur district. 
• Another smaller stupa has been completely destroyed due to mining at the site.
• The stupa could be 4.5­metre tall and initial assessment showed that it may belong to the 7th or 8th century. 
• The archaeological asset was found at Parabhadi, which is situated near Lalitgiri, a major Buddhist complex, having a large number of stupas and monasteries.

About Khondalite Stones:

• Khondalite stones were widely used in ancient temple complexes. 
• Since most of Odisha’s ancient temples are built using the Khondalite stones, all the heritage projects in Puri will be developed by using the Khondalite stones to maintain the Kalinga architecture style.
• The State government had come up with an ambitious plan to spend ₹3,208 crore under the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme in three years to transform Puri into a world heritage city. 
• Khondalite stones are proposed to be used widely to maintain aesthetic value of some projects such as the heritage security zone, the Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, Puri lake development project, the Atharnala heritage project and the Matha Development Initiative.

News Source: The Hindu 

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