Buddhist Sites

-| Ambaran | -

Location: Jammu District, India

The buddhist monastic complex at Ambaran is located in the hamlet of Pambarwan, Ambarwan village of Akhnuz tehsil in Jammu Distt. The site is located on the right bank of the Chenab river just 1 km. away from the point where the mighty river enters the plains after travelling more than 2000 kms. in the mountains form its source of origin in Himachal Pradesh. The site is located 26 kms. away from the Jammu city in the Northern India in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

The excavation unearthed a part of the monastic complex and a Buddhist stupa. The most important findings at the site were a silver coin, gold leaves, a tooth probably of the Lord Buddha enshrined in a casket. The site yielded beautiful terracotta parts of human figures that must have embellished the wall of the monastic complex. The moulding technique of these terracotta fingers, palms and other body parts conveys that they were made by master craftsmen who had a thorough understanding of human anatomy.

A long enclosure walls of a monastery and shrine found at the site indicate that these were originally constructed during the 2nd century AD and underwent repairs due to the havoc wrought by periodic flash floods of the Chenab river which ultimately led to the abandonment of the site after the 6th century AD.

The site is located with a picturesque view of hills overlooking just 10 metres above water level of the Chenab river which has been land locked in the straight rock bed for about 1.5 kms. and then enters the flood plains of Akhnoor town. The region have Indo-Greek influence on the Buddhist culture of 4th to 6th century AD as manifested on the terracotta remains found on the site of Ambaran. In future, Ambaran was to be an important centre of the Buddhist circuits in Northern India.

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