Archaeologists have found a large statue of Gautam Buddha at Bahronpur village in Sitagarha, around 20 kilometres away from the district headquarters, while excavating a ninth century Buddhist Shrine and monastery.

KEY POINTS:

=> The team has found other artifacts such as pottery, walls, stairs and tools.

=> The team Efforts are being made to take out the Buddha statue safely. The face itself is 10-inches long, it's a big sculpture.

=> The ASI started working at the site after Buddhist monk Bhante Tiswarro revealed details about Bahronpur, widely considered to be a popular monastery during its time. Many residents in the area had found ancient idols in the area while constructing their houses, leading to the discovery of the place.

=> The central agency has now established that Bahronpur was not only a shrine or a monastery, but a well-developed city of its time.

=> The ASI had first started excavating the site in November 2019, but had to pause it for some months due to the lockdown.