Ancient Well Discovered in Khayardada, Devdaha

Lumbini, June 6, 2024

An ancient 3.5-meter-deep brick well has been discovered in Khayardada, Devdaha, Rupandehi, an area claimed by locals to be the palace site of Buddha’s maternal kingdom, the Koliya Republic. The fully intact ancient brick well was uncovered during an excavation that began on Jestha 16, funded by Devadaha Municipality and conducted by the Lumbini Development Trust and the Department of Archaeology.

Last year, only the upper part of the brick well was visible during excavations conducted by the LDT. Senior Archaeology Officer Himal Kumar Upreti of the Trust reported that this year, the excavation revealed the well's full structure, which measures 2 meters in width and 3.5 meters in depth. “Last year, we only found the upper part of the well. This year, we planned to excavate to the base (lower part) of the well, and we have now uncovered its full size,” Upreti said. He mentioned that while the well is ancient, its exact period will be determined through carbon dating.

To the south of the well, remains of ancient walls have been discovered. During the excavation in the Khayardada area, fragments of pottery and remnants of walls made of ancient bricks were found. Upreti noted that locals, unaware of the site's archaeological significance, had taken bricks, creating pits in the process.

 

Upreti stated that it is currently not possible to definitively determine where Buddha’s maternal home was located and emphasized the need for further archaeological excavation and exploration. He mentioned that area east of Rohini River can be considered from Devadaha. However, fragments of pottery from the time of Buddha and earlier were found in Panditpur. Local residents of Devadaha, claim that the palace of Buddha’s maternal home was located in Devadaha. Rajesh Pariyar, an officer from the Department of Archaeology, highlighted the need for continuous excavation and study in the ancient Koliya state areas. He stated that historical facts and evidence obtained from the Khayardada excavation would be studied further to take additional steps in the future.

The excavation in Khayardada, Devadaha Municipality-9, is being conducted with a budget of 1 million NPR from Devdaha Municipality. This is the first excavation conducted in partnership with the local municipality.

The excavation team, led by Senior Archaeology Officer Himal Upreti from the Archaeology Division of the Lumbini Development Trust, includes Archaeology Officer Rajesh Pariyar, Namraj Adhikari, Chandra Prakash Pathak, Antarhusein Muslim, and expert Shubhechha Pokhrel. The excavation is expected to continue for another month.