Rare Buddha relics discovered in Pakistan dam

Islamabad, April 4 : Archaeologists have discovered rare Buddha relics from the Diamer-Bhasha dam site in Pakistan.

According to a report in The International news, the relics include rare stone carvings, sculptures and statues of the Buddha.

"At least 1,000-1,500 different kinds of rock carvings, sculptures and statues have been found during the technical work, and the archaeology department expects huge consignment when full-fledged reservoir building is started," sources reported.

The Archaeology department of Northern Areas and Wapda officials confirmed to have discovered the Buddha-age stone work.

According to an archaeological study, there are nearly 30,000 important statues, carvings and sculptures within the range of 135 kilometres of the Bhasha reservoir.

"Diamer-Bhasha dam will definitely lead to discovery of significant material related to Buddhism in the region and must be preserved," the sources said.

Secretary Archaeology Nas (Northern Areas), Sanaullah, confirmed the discovery in the initial working and said the people from his department were taking care of the material.

"We believe that nearly 30,000 raw carvings and such invaluable scriptures of the Buddha-age have been found where the Bhasha dam is being built," the official said.

According to Sanaullah, his department, along with the culture ministry, would ensure preservation of all precious articles so far found or available at the site. The culture ministry is also involved in the archaeological assessment.

"This kind of material is called the archaeology heritage and it is the responsibility of the state to ensure its preservation, as the people throughout the world would have a great interest in these findings," said Sanaullah.

The NAs official also informed that a German scholar, who is also a associated with the National Council of the Arts, is also carrying out a study about the discoveries in order to assess their worth and history.

ANI