Government Construction Activity Exposes And Damages Ancient Monument In Rajgir; ASI Calls It An Unauthorised Act
Sanjay Kumar, a socio-cultural activist, shocked by the damage, enquired about it with an engineer present there.
By Dev Raj
Published : June 29, 2026 at 8:35 PM IST
Patna: Rajgir (also Rajagriha and Girivraja), the first capital of the ancient Magadha empire, where monuments and artefacts could be found buried almost everywhere, is being continuously defiled and destroyed due to unbridled, unauthorised, and reckless construction activities – courtesy the Bihar government.
The latest example is large-scale digging with heavy earthmovers (JCB machines) at the Vaibhargiri Hills, just beyond the sacred hot water springs and pools. It has exposed and partially destroyed a massive wall made of burnt bricks or terracotta bricks, indicating that a stupa or some other ancient building existed there.
Sanjay Kumar, a socio-cultural activist working to protect the prehistoric and historic heritage in Rajgir and other parts of the Nalanda district, first noticed the destruction.
“I was passing through the ‘kund’ (hot water pool) area on Sunday when I noticed some construction activity close by. I went there to enquire. JCB machines and labourers had made a 70-foot-long and 30-foot-deep cut, exposing a massive ancient wall made of burnt bricks. Much part of the exposed wall was destroyed in the digging by the machines,” Sanjay told ETV Bharat.
Shocked by the damage, Sanjay enquired about it with an engineer present there. He informed that the work was being done on behalf of the government.
“It seemed that some ancient monument or stupa existed there. The exposed bricks were similar to those used in the ancient Nalanda University. While the rest of the world focuses on protecting heritage for posterity, we are bent on destroying it. The government officials have neither any knowledge about archaeological rules, nor are they bothered about history. The situation is pathetic, and entire Rajgir is being destroyed,” Sanjay added.
The socio-cultural activist has since written to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director general and other senior officials, including those posted at its Patna circle, which takes care of Bihar.
Incidentally, the place where the construction activity has damaged the ancient monument, is located close to the legendary Magadhan king Jarasandha’s ‘chabutra’ (platform), Pippli cave, Jain Sarai Temple, Saptaparni caves, and the Siddhanath temple. All of them are of much historical and archaeological importance.
Though Rajagriha and its surroundings have evidence of prehistoric settlements, its first mention is found in the epics. The Mahabharata narrates a wrestling match between Bhima and the Magadha ruler Jarasandha. The place rose to further prominence during the rule of the Haryanka dynasty kings Bimbisara (558 – 491 BCE) and Ajatshatru (492 – 460 BCE), who were contemporaries of Lord Buddha, and served as their capital. Later on, Ajatshatru’s son Udayin shifted the capital to Pataliputra.
Rajgir is closely associated with the Buddha and Lord Mahavira, and both of them spent considerable time of their post-enlightenment lives there. The place flourished as a centre of spiritual, religious, educational, industrial and commercial activities till the 12th century CE. This led to the construction of thousands of monuments apart from the Cyclopean wall that fortifies the ancient Rajagriha.
ETV Bharat asked Rajgir sub-divisional officer (SDO) Surya Prakash Gupta about the construction activity that has exposed and virtually ruined an ancient monument. “The construction work going on there is a part of the Brahma Kund renovation project by the state tourism department and the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). A ‘Janeu Bhawan’ (building for performing the sacred thread ceremony among the Hindus) will be constructed there to provide various amenities to pilgrims and tourists,” SDO Surya said.
Brahma Kund is a natural hot water pool revered by the Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. It is associated with both Lord Buddha and Mahavira. Fed by streams flowing from the Vaibhargiri Hill, its mineral-rich water remains consistently warm at around 45 degrees Celsius, and is highly valued for its therapeutic and healing powers.
However, the place where the digging and construction activity is going on falls under the ASI’s ‘protected zone’ and is in violation of the law. Only the ASI is allowed to explore, excavate or construct anything in the zone.
“I received information about the digging and construction activity in the prohibited zone in Rajgir today (Monday). I will go there tomorrow (Tuesday) to get a first-hand account and see what is happening there. There is no question of any permission for any such activity having ever been granted by our institution. We have not given any permission. “If any construction activity is happening there, it must be unauthorised,” ASI Patna circle superintending archaeologist Hari Om Sharan said.
A senior Bihar tourism department official said on condition of anonymity that no permission for the construction activity was sought, and accepted that those who planned it exceeded their brief, either deliberately or unknowingly.
The then ASI director general Sir John Marshall (tenure 1902 – 1928) and his team oversaw the identification, exploration, excavation, and conservation of various monuments and sites in the Rajgir area in 1905 – 1906. He oversaw the unravelling of the Cyclopean wall, hot springs, various sites linked to Lord Buddha and other monuments.
Marshall utilised the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904 to ensure that the ancient ruins were formally protected and catalogued. It also put the ancient ruins and their surrounding areas under ASI’s control.
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, and the AMASR (Amendment) Act, 2010, are the key laws that protect and regulate historical monuments and archaeological sites of national importance. They establish a 100-metre ‘prohibited area’ where new constructions are banned, and an additional 200-metre ‘regulated area’ governed by the National Monument Authority. Unauthorised excavation, mining and construction activities are banned under these acts.
A large part of the hilly and forested Rajgir is still unexplored archaeologically. Chinese traveller Faxian (Fa-Hien) (337 CE – 422 CE) documented several key monuments connected to the Buddha’s life and the distribution of his relics by Emperor Ashoka the Great.
Faxian refers to 40 stupas of burnt bricks made by Ashoka in Rajgir. However, archaeologists are still trying to locate and identify the monuments that would corroborate the Chinese traveller’s accounts
Damage and defacement of archaeological sites and monuments in Rajgir in recent years
Archaeologists assert that the destruction and defacement of ancient sites and monuments in Rajgir has been ongoing for several decades. They pointed out that the state government is the biggest culprit, though encroachment is also a reason.
The month-long Malmas Mela, which concluded around two weeks ago saw shops, carts and eateries being opened at the Ajatshatru Stupa and the absence of security personnel to protect the monument. When archaeologists flagged the issue, the Nalanda district administration quickly removed the violators.
The list of the destroyed or defaced monuments and sites in Rajgir is an exhaustive one. Some of them include all the structures located within the old, fortified city of Rajagriha for making the wildlife safari, as well as all ancient structures located in and around the Jai Prakash Udyan.
Similarly, the Venu Vana Stupas and other associated structures were damaged during the construction of toilets by the state forest department. The long, stone-paved road made by King Bimbisara to go to the Gridhrakuta Hill was defaced by the construction of a modern pathway over it.
All the structures located behind the Suraj Kund (hot water pool) were defaced during the construction of the boundary wall around it. The Ganesh Madaiya, located at the northern gate of the Cyclopean Wall, has been completely encroached upon due to the construction of a new temple on the old bastion.
The forest department has indulged in several construction activities within the old city without obtaining permission from the ASI or the competent authority. Recently, Jarasandh’s statue was installed in the Jaiprakash Udyan (garden) without prior permission. Several interventions have been made in the garden, damaging the older archaeological layers.
In the ‘New Fort’ area, famously known as the Ajatshatru Quila, the local administration has indulged in several construction activities, and has also allowed vegetable sellers to create vendor zones on the side of the modern road passing through the fort.
A huge boundary wall close to the Jarasandh Ka Akhada (wrestling ring) has been constructed, causing defacement of the historical property, and a mound located in Chorma village outside the southern gate of the Cyclopean wall has been fully encroached.
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