Veteran Nepalese Archaeologist Kosh Prasad Acharya, who retired recently from his last job as the director general of the Department of Archaeology, returned to his previous site of work he had left some 18 years ago. Acharya was involved in the excavation of the UNESCO world heritage site beginning in the early 90s up until 1996 when the project ended. Acharya, however, was not satisfied with the results and came back in 2010 as the co-director of an investigation being carried out by UNESCO. And this time, the truth has unraveled itself.
Acharya and his long time collaborator, Robin Coningham headed a team of investigators to develop the site for the increasing number of visitors in the area. But in 2011, they came across a whole new truth, a brick temple located below the existing Ashokan Temple and a void underneath. This gave way to a much vigorous excavation including archaeologists, geophysicists and workmen from Nepal and Britain and in the next two years, samples were excavated and analyzed, which directs to the fact that there might have existed a tree, much like a shrine below the existing temple. This tree might have actually been the tree under which Lord Buddha was born, as is believed by many of the followers. Quite astoundingly, this also brings in light the new hypothesis to the current known date of Buddha’s birth, leading to a stunning claim that Buddha was born in sixth century BC, two centuries earlier than thought. Continuing excavations and investigations at this sacred and world renowned site will reveal more and more about the birth and life of Lord Buddha, but one this is clear, this new revelation will surely help to aid the ongoing rumors about the birthplace of Lord Buddha.