Type: Archaeological Site - Stupa & Monastery
Province: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District: Mansehra
Period: Historic
Relative Chronology: 1st - 5th Century CE
Description: Zar Dheri Buddhist complex, located in a village called Tambah Shinkiari town enrooted Thakot on the Karakorum highway to the north of Mansehra in Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. Zar Dheri Buddhist complex is one of the few sites systematically explored and scientifically excavated by professional archaeologists. The site was for the first time documented by H. Hargreaves in 1922.It was later on excavated by the Tokyo National Museum Archaeological Mission (hereafter TNMAM) to Pakistan from 1995-99 in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology and Museums (henceforth DOAM), Government of Pakistan. These field investigations at the site revealed some remarkable discoveries including 146 stone sculptures/architectural elements, coins and ceramics. But the most important discovery revealed at the site was the exceptional cruciform stupa with flight of steps provided on each cardinal side. This stupa has recently been declared as the earliest of all the cruciform stupas yet discovered from the entire South Asia. But despite of its rich archaeological and historical potential, the site is constantly losing its authenticity due to natural disaster and human vandalism. The main stupa was exposed in the center of the square court. The stupa is cruciform in shape very similar those at Bhamala and Rawak .The cruciform shape stupas are very rare in and outside the Gandhara region. Those discovered from Gandhara region include the Main Stupa A at Bhamala (Taxila), the stupa at Tahkal Bala and Shah-ji-ki-Dheri (Peshawar), The Stupa at Sahri Bahlol (Mardan) and stupa model from Shaikhan Dheri (Charsadda) now displayed in Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology University of Peshawar. While those found from the surrounding regions include; the Parihasanpur and Harwan stupas (Kashmir), the stupa at Tapa Sardar near Ghazni (Afghanistan), the stupa at Adzehna Tepe in Tajikistan, the main Stupa of Rawak in Chinese Turkistan, the stupa at Paharpur (Bangladesh) and building 42 at Sanchi (India). The principal stupa at Zar Dheri has a square plinth provided with four stairs. The stupa is constructed of dressed stones in diaper masonry. According to Fitzsimmon, the emergence of cross planned stupa was the result of development of design in Taxila without borrowing the idea from outside. He has further classified the cross planned stupa into two groups. The first group comprises of those reported from Pakistan and Afghanistan which retain the strong presence of square body at the heart of the design. Another is the example in other areas which have three protruding corners between each staircase. The protrusion is equivalent to plinth not an addition, stupa in Tapa Sardar is divided into two according to their shape. Early example retains square core in their shape, which later ones moved towards a radiated circle. The stupa at Zar Dheri along with other associated structures was refilled after excavation presently only the dome covered with thick bushes is visible. While Abdul Hameed in his PhD dissertation has reclassified the cruciform stupas reported in and outside the Gandhara region. He has also established chronology of the cross planned stupas by declaring the Zar Dheri Stupa to be the earliest. The excavation conducted at the site revealed the monastic complex comprising of monks cell courtyard and corridor measuring 85 meters in length east-west and 52 (meters) in width in north- south. All the structure in the monastery is were made of stone in diaper masonry. Iron door reported during the excavation show the existence of the wooden door.
Latitude: 34.498960000
Longitude: 73.271080000
Ownership: Private
Legal Status: Not Protected
Title of Publication: Zar Dheri Buddhist Complex District Mansehra Kp Pakistan
Published In: https://uheritage.blogspot.com/
Year of Publication: 2021 (Retrieved)
Bibliography/Reference: Khan, Usman
