Lalitgiri, the oldest of the three sites comprising Odisha's Buddhist Diamond Triangle, is believed to date back to the 1st century BCE, its excavated ruins including a stupa where important Buddhist relics — believed by some scholars to include remains of the Buddha himself — were discovered during archaeological excavation. A small on-site museum displays sculptures and artefacts recovered from the site, providing context for the ruins scattered across the surrounding hillside.
Lalitgiri's long span of continuous Buddhist activity, from its early origins through to its eventual decline, makes it a particularly significant site for tracing the evolution of Buddhist architecture and practice in ancient Odisha (then Kalinga) over many centuries.
Excavations at Lalitgiri have revealed a relic casket believed by some archaeologists to contain remains associated with the Buddha, discovered within the site's main stupa, making it one of the most significant Buddhist archaeological discoveries in eastern India.
October to March.
About 90km from Bhubaneswar, near Ratnagiri and Udayagiri Buddhist Complex, roughly 2.5 hours by road.
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