How an University professor unearth a mountain full of ancient sculptures

A significant archaeological discovery has been made in the hills surrounding Assam University, where an ancient statue was found embedded in stone. 

The statue, believed to be centuries old, was discovered by a team from the Assam University who ventured into the hilly area following the discovery of a photograph. 

Local inhabitants of the Reang community, who worship Hindu deities, were unaware of the statue's existence. The team found numerous stone Bhaskars on the mountain, suggesting a hidden history of the old king Maharajas. 

The location, on the border of Assam and Mizoram, has been inaccessible due to its challenging terrain, keeping its secrets hidden until now. T

The discovery was made by Dr Ganesh Nandi, Assistant Professor of Visual Arts, at Assam University, and Dr Vinay Pal, his former research student. 

The findings have caused quite a stir, adding new elements to the region's history. The area, known as the Kolalien village, is home to the Reangs who have been worshipping Shiva Parvati for years. 

The sculptures found bear similarities to those found in Unakoti and Pilak of Tripura, suggesting a link to the ancient Tripura kingdom. The discovery has been met with excitement and calls for immediate preservation, particularly in light of past destructions due to deteriorating Mizo-Reang relations. 

"I got a photo of the hill and in that photo, I saw that a statue is made of stone. And that statue is quite old. Then I thought I had to go to the area. Then I took my colleagues from Assam University and went to the hilly area", said an Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Assam University.

"Facing a lot of difficulties, when we went to the hill, we saw that there are many Bhaskars made of stone in the entire mountain but no one knows. The local people there belong to the RIang community and they worship Hindu gods and goddesses, which is an idol of 1500 years ago".

Dr Jayanta Bhushan Bhattacharya, former Vice Chancellor of Assam University and a renowned historian, has written to the Department of Archeology, while Dr. Nandi has directly contacted Dr. Alok Tripathi, Additional Director General, of the Department of Archaeology, who expressed interest and promised to send a delegation for field experiments.