Jagjivanpur

Jagajjibanpur or Jagajivanpur (in Bengali: জগজ্জীবনপুর) is an archaeological site in Habibpur block of Malda district in West Bengal state in eastern India.

The most significant findings from this site include a copper-plate inscription of Pala emperor Mahendrapaladeva and the structural remains of a 9th-century Buddhist Vihara: Nandadirghika-Udranga Mahavihara.

The extant height of this stupa is about 3.5 m and its circumference is 19.63 m.[2] A significant number of artifacts were found from the site, which include the copper plate inscription of Mahendrapala (presently preserved in the Malda Museum), a 175 cm high bronze image of Marichi, more than a hundred terracotta seals and sealings, many terracotta plaques and decorated bricks.

Before the commencement of the excavations, a small bronze seated image of Buddha in bhumisparshamudra (earth-touching gesture) was found from a local resident.

Most of this artifacts are preserved at present in the Jagjivanpur gallery of the State Archaeological Museum at Behala, Kolkata along with a scaled model of the site.

A royal seal is attached to the top of the plate, which comprises within a lotus, a dharmachakra at the centre, flanked by deer on either side and the legend Shri Mahendrapaladeva below.

The copper plate was issued by the emperor Mahendrapala on the 2nd day of Vaisakha month of his seventh regnal year (854) from Kuddalakhataka jayaskandhavara (camp of victory) in the Pundravardhana bhukti.

It states that the emperor Mahendrapala, the son and successor of Devapala, announced before the body of the officers and other persons assembled on the occasion of a land grant ceremony that his mahasenapati (general) Vajradeva had intended to donate the land adjacent to the Nandadirghika Udranga Mahavihara, erected by him for attainment of religious merits for his parents and all people on earth for the worship of the Buddhist deities and maintenance and performance of religious rites which include copying (manuscripts) by the monks residing in the Vihara.

Inscribed in Siddhamatrika script in Sanskrit language, the seal reads (as read by Debala Mitra): Shri Vajradeva Karita Nanda Dirghi Vihariya Arya Bhikshu Sam(ghasya) (of the venerable community of monks residing in the Nanda Dirghi Vihara which was caused to be built by Shri Vajradeva).

These plaques depict Shiva, Surya, Avalokiteshvara, Vidyadharas, Gandharvas, Garuda, Kinnaras and Kinnaris, warriors, man with parasol, a devotee, boar, lion, deer, peacock and swan.

Nandadirghi Vihar