Archive · 9 Jun 2025
Rare Ancient Buddha Statue Found in Mangaluru
Imagine people found an old statue of a Buddha in a pond!
This statue is missing its head, but experts think it's really old, from around 1,500 years ago.
It shows a Buddha sitting and meditating.
They also found some caves nearby, carved into the rock.
These caves were probably used by monks a long, long time ago.
The statue and caves tell us that the area used to be a very important place for Buddhists, even before it became what it is now.
This discovery helps us learn more about the past.
A rare Buddha statue was discovered in Kadri, Mangaluru.
The statue is from the 4th to 6th centuries CE and depicts a meditating Buddha.
The sandstone statue measures approximately 68 cm in height and 48 cm in width.
Ancient rock-cut caves were also found near the statue.
The findings suggest Kadri was once a significant Mahayana Buddhist center.
- Who
- Archaeologists, Prof. T. Murugeshi
- What
- Discovery of a rare Buddha statue and ancient rock-cut caves
- When
- 4th to 6th centuries CE, during recent archaeological exploration
- Where
- Kadri, Mangaluru, near Sri Kadri Manjunatha Temple
- Why
- To understand the history of the region and its Buddhist heritage
- Location
- Kadri, Mangaluru
- Discovery
- Rare Buddha statue and ancient caves
- Statue Era
- 4th to 6th centuries CE
- Statue Details
- Meditating posture, missing head, 68 cm high, 48 cm wide
- Cave Type
- Rock-cut caves
- Caves Function
- Monks' dwellings or meditation spaces
- Significance
- Reveals Kadri as a former Mahayana Buddhist center