2,000-year-old Buddhist site found in Haryana

KANPUR: In a remarkable scientific breakthrough that may rewrite regional history, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has discovered signs of ancient Buddhist stupas and structural remains buried beneath the soil in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana.Using advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology, researchers detected circular structures, old walls, and chamber-like rooms at a depth of around 6 to 7 feet, pointing to the possibility of a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site.The survey, commissioned by the Haryana State Department of Archaeology, was part of a broader investigation to locate potential historical structures across several sites, including Topra Kalan and other villages known for scattered old bricks on the surface.The IIT Kanpur team's work offers compelling evidence of buried heritage that may date back to the Buddhist period or even to the Mahabharata era, according to local tradition.Professor Javed Malik of IIT Kanpur's Civil Engineering Department said, "When we surveyed the mound's exterior, we picked up strong geo-radar reflections indicating a semi-circular structure beneath. Officials from the archaeological department confirmed the presence of what they believed was a stupa nearby. We felt confident that we were indeed detecting a buried stupa."