45-ft ‘Second Buddha’ statue planned at Udayagiri

Bhubaneswar/Jajpur: Odisha is set to get a major new Buddhist landmark with a 45-foot statue of Guru Padmasambhava, revered as the “Second Buddha”, coming up near the historic Udayagiri Buddhist site in Jajpur district. The project is aimed at giving a global push to Odisha’s rich Buddhist heritage and strengthening the state’s Diamond Triangle Buddhist Circuit, comprising the his toric Buddhist sites of Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri. The three sites, known for their ancient monasteries, stupas, sculptures and archaeological remains, testify to Odisha’s importance as a major centre of Buddhist learning and Vajrayana tradition. The imposing statue will be installed near Shanichhak at Gajendrapur under Gopalpur pancha yat in Badachana, at the foothills of Udayagiri. Construction work has already begun at a sculpture workshop at Majhipada village, identified by the Jajpur district administration. Around 15 sculptors, including renowned stone artist Pramod Kumar Maharana, are working under the supervision of national award-winning sculptor Kalamani Ratnakar Maharana. Work on the accompanying sculptures of Buddhist deities has already commenced.

The project is being developed by the Aryadesh Cultural Conservation Centre in collaboration with the Odisha Tourism department and with support from the US-based Light of Buddha Dharma Foundation International. The district administration has provided around 1.5 acres of land near the Gajendrapur-Udayagiri Buddhist complex. The project has an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore and is targeted for completion within three years. The main statue will be carved from Chunar stone brought from Varanasi. Seven five-foot statues of Buddhist deities—Tara, Vajra pani, Avalokiteshvara, Amitabha, Vajrasattva, Manjushri and Pad mapani—will be installed around it.

These sculptures will be made from black Muguni stone sourced from Nilagiri in Balasore district. Skilled stone artisans from Lalitgiri, Sukhuapada and Konark have been engaged for the work, while the Tourism department has provided the sculptors with a reference image of Guru Padmasambhava. The project gained momentum following a meeting between Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida, Wangmo Dixey, head of the California-based Light of Buddha Dharma Foundation International, and eminent sculptor Padma Shri Prabhakar Maharana.

Culture researchers and heritage enthusiasts have welcomed the initiative, saying the memorial could attract Buddhist devotees, researchers and tourists from India and abroad while showcasing Odisha’s traditional stone-carving heritage. They said the new landmark would add to the appeal of the Diamond Triangle, with Ratnagiri renowned for its monasteries and Vajrayana Buddhist remains, Udayagiri noted for its monastic complexes and sculptures, and Lalitgiri recognised for its ancient stupas, monasteries, and relics.