Kiloforce123 at 17:23, 4 February 2026

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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
[[File:Seated Buddha Akshobya, northeast India, probably Kurkihar, 11th century AD, Pala Period, gilt copper alloy with silver and gold inlay - Fitchburg Art Museum - DSC08841.JPG|thumb|Seated Buddha Akshobya, Kurkihar, 11th century AD, Pala Period, gilt copper alloy with silver and gold inlay - Fitchburg Art Museum - DSC08841]]
The '''Kurkihar hoard''' is a set of 226 bronzes, mostly Buddhist, dating to between the 9th and 12th centuries CE, which were found in Kurkihar near [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] in the Indian state of [[Bihar]].<ref>[http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jais/hd_jais.htm Guy, The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture, Volume 10 of Studies in South Asian Culture, The "Pala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture, Susan L. Huntington Brill Archive, 1984, p. 141]</ref> The village of Kurkihar is situated about 5 km. north-east of Wazirganj, and 27 km east from [[Gaya, India|Gaya]]. The inscriptions found suggest that Kurkihar was once a well known international pilgrimage center.<ref>[https://www.bhaskar.com/news/BIH-PAT-HMU-buddhist-archaeological-site-kurkihar-5620721-PHO.html जिद धरोहर बचाने की : गया के कुर्किहार के घर-घर में है धरोहर, विदेशों से था संबंध, Bhaskar News, 13 June 2017]</ref>

These include a gilded [[Avalokiteshvara]] image from 12th century, referred to as being resplendent.<ref>[http://www.talkativeman.com/gilt-bronze-statue-bodhisattva-avalokiteshvara/ Resplendent Sculpture of Avalokiteshvara from Kurkihar (Bihar, India) from 12th Century, 10 January 2017, Ellen Kaufman]</ref>

The monastery where the bronzes were found was named Apanakain in an [[Prajnaparamita#The earliest texts|Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita]] manuscript now in [[LACM]].<ref>A Forgotten Monastery of Ancient Bihar, Pal, Pratapaditya, South Asian studies, Vol:4 No:1 Date: 1988 Pages:83-88</ref>

==Discovery==
[[File:Bihar, akshobhya, il buddha del'est, da kurkihar, 890 dc ca.jpg|thumb|Bihar, Akshobhya, Kurkihar, 890 CE, [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] ]]
Major Markham Kittoe visited Kurkihar twice in 1847 and on the second visit to the village, spent four days collecting "ten cart-loads of images; all Buddhist and the Tamrika period". A great portion of this collection is preserved in the [[Indian Museum]], Kolkata.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bhpromo.org.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=71 |title=KURKIHAR, -The remnants of an artistic age, 10 December 2009 20:10 |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=13 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013131606/http://bhpromo.org.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=71 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some of Kittoe's collection can also be found in the [[British Museum]], London.<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG11477 British Museum collection]</ref> Cunningham visited Kurkihar in 1861-62 and again in 1879-80. He mentions that the site was about 600 feet square and about 25 feet high. He mentioned having seen here not only numerous Buddhist images, large and small, but a large number of votive stupas. He says there were in his time "row after row of Chaityas extending north to south for several hundred feet".

In 1930 a hoard of 226 bronzes and five other objects was found at Kurkihar, which were unearthed from the main mound. These included Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, [[Stupa|Stupas]], Bells and ritual objects. Today, these objects are displayed in special room in the Patna Museum.

Of the 87 images, 81 were Buddhist and 6 Hindu. They were all found in one spot, with the smaller images enclosed in earthen jars.<ref>S.K. Sarasvati and K.C. Sarkar, Kurkihar, Gaya and Bodh-Gaya, Rajshahi, 1936, p. 5</ref> They were found about 25 feet below the surface of the main mound, when someone was digging for bricks.

A number of stone images have also been found from the Pala period, some of which are still in active worship at the local Devi temple.

==Major images ==

In 2005, for an exhibition in Australia, two of the three statues representing India were from Kurkihar, they were valued at US $30 million.<ref>[http://www.livehindustan.com/news/Gaya/article1-Kurkihar-neglected-Buddhist-site-lies-in-increased-prized-sculptures-653651.html उपेक्षित है कुर्किहार बौद्ध स्थल, बढ़ में छिपी है बेशकीमती मूर्तियां, Live Hindustan, 4 जनवरी, 2017]</ref>

==Inscriptions==
Cunningham has written: "I procured several short but interesting inscriptions at Kurkihar. The name of Sakala is mentioned in several of them, and also Kerala in Dakshinades. The age of these inscriptions, judging from the shapes of the letters, must be about A.D. 800 to 1000"<ref>[https://silentpagesindia.blogspot.in/2013/09/visit-to-kurkihar-in-august-2013.html An ancient legendary site yet to be fully explored and understood, 28 September 2013, Vikas Vaibhav]</ref>

Ninety three inscriptions have been found on the bronzes.<ref>Banerji-Sastri, "Ninety-three Inscriptions on the Kurkihar Bronzes", ''Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society'', XXVI, 3 (1940), 236-251.</ref> The Kurkihar inscriptions refer to Devapala (810–c. 850), Rajyapala (908–940), Mahipala (988–c. 1036) and [[Vigrahapala III]] (1054–1072), ranging from 9th century to 1074 AD. The name of the monastery was apparently named Apanaka, which is mentioned in several inscriptions. The monastery was apparently very popular among the visitors from [[Kanchi]] in [[South India]].

The names, places of origin and ranks of the donors for 9-12th century have been analyzed.<ref>[http://www.jocbs.org/index.php/jocbs/article/download/100/120 The socieo-economic dimensions of dedicatory inscriptions, B.N. Prasad, JOBS.2074(7):116-152]</ref> The distribution is 9th century:14, 10th: 21, 11th: 25, and 12th: 10.

[[File:Avalokiteshvara and Scenes from the Buddha's Life (a), Maitreya and Scenes from the Buddha's Life (b), Two Folios from a Prajnaparamita (The Perfection of Wisdom) LACMA M.72.1.19a-b (1 of 4).jpg|right|thumb|500px|Maitreya and Scenes from the Buddha's Life, LACMA]]

==Manuscript==
A circa 1100–1125 manuscript of [[Prajnaparamita#The earliest texts|Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita]] now in [[LACM]].<ref>A Forgotten Monastery of Ancient Bihar, Pal, Pratapaditya, South Asian studies, Vol:4 No:1 Date: 1988 Pages:83-88</ref> was copied in this monastery during the rule of [[Ramapala]].

==Significance==

Kurkihar was apparently a major pilgrimage center located midway between [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] and [[Rajgriha]] and as well an artistic center of brass and stone sculpting. The inscriptions found refer to donors not only from distant place in India like Sakala in Punjab, and Kerala, Conjeevaram or Kanchi in the south, but also from Bali Islands, Malaya as well as other countries. The inscriptions refer to a number of kings, mostly of the Pala dynasty.

==Comparison with Nalanda bronzes==
[[File:043 Buddha Teaching, Nalanda (9218609395).jpg|thumb|Buddha Teaching, [[Nalanda]] ]]

Kurkihar bronzes have been compared with the bronzes from nearby Nalanda.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=qCQVAAAAIAAJ&q=kurkihar&pg=PA71 The Bronzes of Nalanda and Hindu-javanese Art, A.J. Bernet Kampers, Brill Archive, 1933, p. 19-64]</ref> It has been suggested that Nalanda sculptors may have settled in Kurkihar<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=xLA3AAAAIAAJ&dq=nalanda+kurkihar+bronzes&pg=PA52 The "Påala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture, Volume 10 of The "Pala-Sena" Schools of Sculpture, Susan L. Huntington, Brill Archive, 1984 p. 5-153]</ref> Kurkihar bronzes data from 10th to 12th cent while Nalanda bronzes cover the period from 7th to 9th cent. nalanda bronzes are reddish whereas Kurkihar bronzes are more yellow.

==Museums==

Most of the Kurkihar bronzes are in the [[Patna Museum]]. The Hindu temple situated in the north-eastern portion of the village was visited by Cunningham in 1861 where a number of images, both Buddhist and Hindu images, dated to the 10th–11th Century AD, have been preserved here.

==Patna Museum theft==

On Sept 26, 2006, 18 bronze images from Kurkihar were stolen from the Patna Museum. The thieves entered through a window by cutting the cutting bars.<ref>[https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/18-statues-figurines-of-pala-period-stolen-from-patna-museum/418634 18 statues, figurines of Pala period stolen from Patna museum, Outlook, Sept 26, 2006]</ref> The images were later recovered from a gang including a Vinod Yadav in Nalanda district, and Shahid Warsi of Kolkata. A [[Manjushri]] image was not recovered.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6038510.stm Priceless Indian statue recovered, BBC, 10 October 2006]</ref>

==Recovery of Bodhisatva Padmapani image in Italy==

In 2022, an image of Bodhisatva Padmapani, stolen from the Kundalpur Devisthan Temple at Kurkiar was surrendered by the owner and is in the process of being returned to India.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/arts/design/stolen-buddha-statue-india.html Stolen Buddha Statue That Resurfaced in Italy Will Return to India, New York Times, Zachary Small, Feb. 11, 2022]</ref>

==Buddhist images in worship at the Modern Hindu Temple==
In the modern Devistahan Kundalpur Hindu temple at<ref>[https://kknews.cc/culture/3vqnnzo.html 庫基哈爾-被遺忘的帕拉造像寶庫, Zheng Moumou, KK News, 2019-05-17]</ref> there are a number of Buddhist images still in active worship.<ref>[http://ignca.nic.in/Asi_data/29177.pdf Kurkihar, Gaya and Bodh-Gaya, Saraswati and Sarkar, 1946]</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Buddha Descending from Heaven, 10c, Kurkihar (9217969945).jpg|[[Indian Museum]] Sculpture - Buddha Descending from Heaven

File:Buddha - Circa 10th Century CE - Kurkihar - Bihar - ACCN Kr5-A25149 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2013-04-10 7766.JPG|Buddha - Circa 10th Century CE

File:Manjusri - Circa 10th-11th Century AD - Kurkihar - Bihar - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 2000.JPG|Manjusri - Circa 10th-11th Century AD

File:Monkey_gives_honey_to_Buddha_Shakyamuni,_India,_Bihar,_probably_Kurkihar,_Pala_dynasty,_c._1000_AD,_black_stone_-_%C3%96stasiatiska_museet,_Stockholm_-_DSC09270.JPG|Monkey gives honey to Buddha Shakyamuni

File:Buddhas_Descent_from_Trayastrimsa_Heaven_Inscribed_-_Basalt_-_ca_10th_Century_CE_-_Pala_Period_-_Kurkihar_-_ACCN_Kr_13-A24119_-_Indian_Museum_-_Kolkata_2016-03-06_1534.JPG|Buddhas Descent from Trayastrimsa Heaven Inscribed - Basalt - ca 10th Cent CE

File:Indian_Buddhist_Art_Exhibition_-_Ground_Floor_-_Indian_Museum_-_Kolkata_2016-03-06_1540.JPG|Indian Buddhist Art Exhibition Indian Museum - Kolkata 2016

File:Tara - Basalt - ca 10th Century CE - Pala Period - Kurkihar - ACCN A25132 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2016-03-06 1494.JPG|Tara - Basalt - ca 10th Century CE

File:Manjusri_Inscribed_-_Basalt_-_ca_10th-11th_Century_CE_-_Pala_Period_-_Kurkihar_-_ACCN_Kr_7_-_Indian_Museum_-_Kolkata_2016-03-06_1498.JPG|Manjusri_Inscribed_-_Basalt_-_ca_10th-11th_Cent

File:Jambhala - Circa - 10th Century AD - Kurkihar - Bihar - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 2075.JPG|Jambhala - Circa - 10th Century AD - Kurkihar - Bihar - Indian Museum - Kolkata

File:Bihar, kurkihar, vasudhara, 950 ca.jpg|[[Vasudhara]] at [[Toledo Museum of Art]], inscribed
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Akota Bronzes]]
* [[Buddhist art]]
* [[Jain Sculpture]]
* [[Indian art]]
* [[Chausa hoard]]
* [[Brahma from Mirpur-Khas]]
* [[Kanchipuram#Buddhism|Buddhism in Kanchipuram]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/2014/03/normal-0-false-false-false.html Digging Up Telahara, Shravasti Dhammika]
* [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/502573639638346558/ Kurkihar Bronzes, photographs]
* [http://photodivision.gov.in/writereaddata/webimages/thumbnails/37640.jpg TARA: Bronze from Kurkishar, Bihar, dating from 9th century A.D.]
* [https://www.metmuseum.org/search-results#!/search?q=kurkihar Met Collection]
* [http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1970.10 Cleveland Art Museum]
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44147930?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=kurkihar&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dkurkihar%26amp%3Bfilter%3D&refreqid=search%3Aa62d0e156776ed60863609f3dbb51410&seq=6#page_scan_tab_contents MARKET CENTRES AND TRADE ROUTES IN LATE ANCIENT BIHAR Anil Kumar Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 67 (2006-2007), pp. 131-144]
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[[Category:Indian Buddhist sculpture]]
[[Category:Treasure troves in India]]
[[Category:Sculptures from Bihar]]

Kurkihar hoard - Revision history

Kiloforce123 at 17:23, 4 February 2026