Lalitagiri
The earliest Buddhist Complex, dating back to the 1st Century AD, Lalitagiri forms an important node of the Diamond Triangle, i.e., Lalitagiri (in the present Cuttack district) and Ratnagiri and Udayagiri (in the present Jajpur district). The majestic ruins of the huge brick monastery, the remains of the Chaitya hall, several votive stupas, and a renovated stone stupa at the apex of a small, rugged sandstone hill dominate the rural greenery around.
In addition, the museum displays a large number of Mahayana sculptures consisting of colossal Buddha figures, huge Boddhisattva statues, statues of Tara, Jambhala, and others. Interestingly, most of these sculptures contain short inscriptions. The Standing Buddha figures, with knee-length draperies over the shoulders, remind the influence of the Gandhara and Mathura school of art.
