Takht-i-Bahi 2025: Hidden Caves, Buried Stupa & Digital 3D Revival of a Kushan Monastery

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Takht-i-Bahi 2025: Hidden Caves, Buried Stupa & Digital 3D Revival of a Kushan Monastery (Originally published: March 2020 | Updated: October 2025 with expanded history, latest excavations, 3D scans, hidden caves, and Chinese inscriptions) Perched on a 150-meter limestone hill in Mardan, Takht-i-Bahi (meaning "Throne of the Water Spring" ) is Pakistan’s finest surviving 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery . Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 , this Gandharan marvel continues to unveil secrets in 2025 — from buried stupas to digital 3D models . This fully updated 2025 guide combines in-depth historical context , recent archaeological discoveries , secret monk caves , and modern preservation efforts . The Complete History of Takht-i-Bahi: From Kushan Glory to 21st-Century Revival 1st Century CE: Foundation Under the Kushan Empire Takht-i-Bahi was established during the reign of Kushan Emperor Kanishka (127–150 CE) , the golden age of Mahayana Buddhism in ...
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Heavy rain reduces thotlakonda Buddhist stupa

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Thotlakonda buddhist stupa:
The telugu name thotlakonda derived from the presence of a number of rock- cut cisterns hewn into the bedrock of the hillock.thotlakonda was influence of ancient kalinga,the important source of Buddhism to srilanka.It is located in Visakhapatnam district of andhra Pradesh. Many archaeologists and historians have been shocked by sudden collapse of restored 2200 year old Buddhist stupa at a monastery in India.some part of This monument is half collapsed due to heavy rain.
Originally it is about 16 km from the bustling city of Visakhapatnam in andhra Pradesh. This monastery was identified in 1970 by aerial survey. This stupa is about 420 feet above the sea level. When the monument was first built it was done painstakingly slowly to allow each layer of brick to set harden.
Thotlakonda came into existence along with nearby sites in Visakhapatnam like bavikonda and pavurallakonda. thotlakonda might have more than 100 bhikkhus.
 Thotlakonda's peak activity was between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE owing to roman trade and religious missions sent abroad. This complex was set up for storing food, clothes, medicine and served academic center. Mainly nikaya Buddhism appears to have been practiced. Thotlakonda had declined by the end of the 3rd century

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