J-K wants ASI to find copper plates recording third Buddhist summit

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to approach the ASI to determine if there is any archaeological evidence of the third international Buddhist conference held in Kashmir Valley in the 3rd Century BC at the time of King Kanishka.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to approach the ASI to determine if there is any archaeological evidence of the third international Buddhist conference held in Kashmir Valley in the 3rd Century BC at the time of King Kanishka.

The Government wants the ASI to conduct an exploration for copper plates on which the proceedings of the third Buddhist conference are believed to have been recorded. These copper plates were later put in stone boxes and buried.

The conference is believed to have been attended by over 500 Buddhist scholars from around the world. It was held over six months and, after it, Buddhism spread to China and Central Asia.

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The conference was held at the time of the reign of Kanishka. A Kushan king, his empire extended from northern India to Central Asia and was famous for its military, political and spiritual achievements. While his capital was at Balkh in northern Afghanistan, the regional capitals were located at Peshawar (now in Pakistan) and Mathura in India.

A heritage conference held in the Valley recently had stressed the need to unearth the copper plates on the Buddhist conference. Since the state Archives Department is ill-equipped to do so, said Director, Archives and Archaeology, S K Qadri, it had decided to approach the ASI.

What may prove difficult, however, is tracing where these copper plates were buried. While some believe that the third Buddhist conference was held at Kundalwan, others say it may have been at Kanilwan in Anantnag or even at Kanispora in Baramulla or Pariashpora or in Zabarwan hills.

“We recently dug out an urban settlement of the period of Kanishka near Kudbal in Anantnag. This led us to believe that the copper plates related to the Buddhist conference may also be found here,” said one Archives Department official.

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If found, the copper plates would not only be an archaeological treasure, but also put Kashmir in the Buddhist tourism circuit.