New Delhi: At a recent lecture at the National Museum, a scholar shed light on an unexplored aspect of Buddhist nuns — their role as donors in ancient India, who helped build the largest rock-cut cave complex in Maharashtra in the 2nd century BCE, centuries before the famous Ellora caves came into existence.

In a hall full of history enthusiasts, professor Abhijit Dandekar, from the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology at the Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute in Pune, pointed to a wall of the Karle complex showing elephants carved from donations.

“The inscription suggests that a Buddhist monk gave donations for this carving,” he said. Show Full Article

The inscription intrigued Dandekar, as Buddhism prohibits monks and nuns from holding money.

See Full Page