On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya Bhopal organized a national webinar on Wednesday. Garima Anand delivered the welcome speech at the beginning of the program. The theme of this webinar was ‘Buddhist Heritage of Central India’.

In this webinar, Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director of Manav sangrahalaya  introduced the topic and  said that  Lord Buddha was born in 563 BCE. He was a Shramana whose teachings followed Buddhism which are reflected  in different kinds of art and culture. Events related to Mahatma Buddha are still seen in wide form of rock paintings, kandras and sculpture. After 100 years of Buddha's nirvana, the religion got divided into Mahayana and Hinayana due to differences among the Buddhists.

A. K. Sinha Retired Director A.S.I  gave his experience as he excavated the site of Sanchi and Satdhara. He told that the notable structures at the site are the largest stupa  similar in size with Sanchi and double stored monasteries.

He also found the structural remains, painting of Buddha and stupa with inscription.

SS Gupta, retired Superintendent Archaeologist, A.S.I. told that Vindhyan plateau in Central India is dotted with a number of Rock art sites manifesting Buddhist monasticism; among them Bhimbetka, Kharbai, Satdhara in Raisen district, Pangoraria, Talpura in Sehore district, Kotra Vihar near Narsingharh in Rajgarh district, Deurkothar in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh and Deogarh in Lalitpur district of UP are very significant.

These sites display the rock shelters have been transformed as dwelling units ideally to mendicants for their rain retreat. the entire landscape has been exploited to facilitate their requisite needs and pious deeds in observance of Dhamma initiated by Lord Buddha. the sites enclosed with an enclosure are encompassed with stupas, chaityas, platforms and other structures raised in dry stone masonry. the rock shelters are found paved and enclosed with dressed stones.