Life-Sized Stucco Sculpture Unearthed in India

HYDERABAD, INDIA—According to a Times of India report, a life-sized stucco sculpture of a Bhodhisattva has been unearthed at Phanigiri, a Buddhist site in southern India dating back to the first century B.C. “This unique sculpture found in the excavations is the biggest and the most important [example], and a rare finding not just in Telangana, but also in the country,” said Sunita Bhagwat, director of the local Department of Heritage. Excavation of the site has also revealed domed structures known as stupas, assembly chambers, pillared halls, a monastery, platforms and staircases, and sculptures with Brahmi inscriptions ranging in age from the first century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. To read about another newly discovered sacred site in India, go to "India's Temple Island."