Directory of Bihar Archaeology-Silver Jubilee Year Publication

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Dr. B.P. Sinha, M.A. (Pat). Ph.D. (Lond.). Professor Emeritus (P.U.) has been actively engaged in historical and archaeological research for the last 60 years. His first research activities were "Akbar Hamara Adarsha in 1942 and Maharauli Iron Pillar Inscription Revisited. 1943. In 1942 he joined the newly started H.D. Jain Collge, Arrah and after teaching in Rajendra College, Chapra and in the B.N. College, Patna he entered the Patna College as Lecturer in History in 1944. He went to London for higher studies in 1944 and came back with Ph.D. (Indian History) from London University in 1948. In 1950 he was appointed Reader in the newly started Post-graduate department of Ancient Indian History and Culture in the Patna University and became the University Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Patna University in 1959 and retired as such on 31st January, 1981.

During this period he worked as the Honorary Founder-Director of the Bihar State Archaeology and Museums from 1962-74 and Honorary Director of K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute. He was appointed Visiting Asian Professor in the U.S.A. in 1966. He was a member of the Government of India Cultural Dele- gation to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in 1967. He actively participated in the International Congress of Orientalists at Paris (1948), Delhi and Canberra (Australia).

He has been associated with numerous learned bodies-(1) Central Advisory Board of Archaeology, (II) President Indian History Congress, Section I, (III) Treasurer, Indian History Congress, (IV) President, Indian Archaeological Society, (V) President, Numismatic Society India, (VT) President, Indian History and Culture Society, (V) Chairman of Society of Quartnary and Prehistoric Studies, (VIII) General Secretary, Bihar Research Society, (IX) President, Bihar Itihasa Sodh Mandal, (X) Patron, Bihar Puravid Parishad, (XI) Member, Senate and Syndicate of the Patna University. (XII) Secretary. Indian Council of World Affairs, Patna Branch, (XIII) Member.

Indian Council of Historical Research Dr. Sinha is author of more than a dozen works on history and archaeology, such as (1) Decline of the Kingdom of Magadh, (2) Bharatiya Kala Ko Bihar Ki Den, (3) Visva Sabhyata Ka Sankshipta Itihasa, (4) Comprehensive History of Bihar, Vol.1 (2 parts) edited, (5) Archaeo- logy in Bihar, (6) Art and Archaeology. (7) Readings in Kautilya's Arthasastra, (8) Readings in Political and Cultural History of India, (9) L.N. Mishra Commemoration Volume, edited, (10) Magadh Ka Rajnitik Itihasa, (11) Twilight of the Imperial Guptas, (12) Sonepur Excavations with Dr. B.S. Verma, (13) Valsali Excavations with Dr. S.R. Rai, (14) Excavations of Pataliputra with L.A. Narain.

Dr. Sinha identified and excavated the first neolithic site Chirand (Sarand district) in the Gangetic Valley. He was responsible for the excavation of the Vishnu Temple at Apsad where he dis- covered the Ramayanic stucco pannels. of the 7th Century A.D. He also got the Stone Age site of Lota Pahar and the historical site of Balirajgarh and excava- ted it.

About 150 research articles have been published in prestigious journals and in Proceedings of National and Inter- national Seminars and Workshops.

This Bihar Puravid Parishad, Patna in keeping with its aims and objectives, some years ago, had decided to publish a Directory of Bihar Archaeology in the chain of the laudatory work of Dr. D.R. Patil, the Antiquarian Remains of Bihar, the last work of the type in the field, with a desideratum to make the data uptodate.

Dr. B.P. Sinha, who hardly needs any introduction as an archaeologist and historian, inspite of his advanced age, very kindly conceded to our request to take the burden of compiling the sites alphabatically with uptodate a ssessment of old and new ones. Beside adding an appendix on Rock-Art in Bihar, a recent discovery. Dr. Sinha has divided the book in two sections, viz. the excavated and the explored sites. However, sites which are still awaiting the spades or atleast the presence of the explorers, have not escaped the attention of Dr. Sinha. They also have due share of description of their probable archaeological potentialities.

The Bihar Puravid Parishad which has completed 25 years of its existence feels proud in presenting this publication to the world of scholars, researchers, students and also laymen interested in preserving heritage in its Silver Jubilee Year.

Bihar is literally littered with sites of archaeological importance and has yielded antiquities of the ancient period from different nooks and corners of the State It was a laudatory effort on the part of Dr. D.R. Patil, former Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India to describe and list all such material in the Antiquarian Remains of Bihar, which was published by the K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute, Patna in 1963. Since then much water has flowed in the Ganga, and very extensive and pioneering work has been done by different archaeological institutions. Therefore, a desiderratum was felt for an uptodate assessment of the entire scienario of Bihar archaeology. It was felt that the ancient period covered by the archaeological spade should be taken up first, and the potential of the ancient sites explored should also be brought out for future action. From this point of view the Bihar Puravid Parishad commissioned the present author to compile such an account covering the ancient period of Bihar down to the 12th Century A.D.

Due to various factors beyond control a long period of time has been consumed in the preparation and publication of the volume. But the task and the parametres had been laid down by scores of diligent and some very perceptive scholars since the 19th Century. Without burdening the readers with their activities in the field it would be desirable to respectfully mention a few of the pioneers and archaeological spade-wielders who have left their distinct foot- prints on the convas of the Bihar archaeology. Buchanan, Martin, Cunningham, Bendell, Waddell, Bloch, Spooner, Hargreeves, Hiranand Shastry, A.S. Altekar, A. Ghosh and many others. Their specific contributions will be referred to at suitable places in the volume.

Earlier epigraphy and numismatics were generaly dealt with in the wide spectrum of archaeology as a whole. Being significant part of the sources for the study of the past, they deserve a place within archaeological studies. But today archaeology rather field archaeology has become too distinct and developed science by itself, and epigraphy and numismatics though indispensable for the study of the past, are now regarded as independent disciplines. In view of this we have not included the epigraphic and mumismatic material which is fairly copius, in the present volume. It is hoped that companion volumes pertaining to Bihar will be prepared and published sooner than later.