Afghans unearth 19-metre Buddha statue, relics

Reuters ^ | 08 Sep 2008 | Sayed Salahuddin

[BGHater]

Archaeologists have discovered a 19-metre (62-foot) Buddha statue along with scores of other historical relics in central Afghanistan near the ruins of giant statues destroyed by the Islamist Taliban seven years ago.

The team was searching for a giant sleeping Buddha believed to have been seen by a Chinese pilgrim centuries ago when it came upon the relics in the central province of Bamiyan, an official said on Monday.

"In total, 89 relics such as coins, ceramics and a 19 meters statue have been unearthed," Mohammad Zia Afshar, adviser in the information and culture ministry, told Reuters.

He said the idol, in sleeping posture, was badly damaged. The other relics dated back to the Bacterian era and from Islamic and Buddhist civilizations.

Lying on the old Silk Road and linking West with the East, Bamiyan was once a thriving Buddhist centre where monks lived in caves. In 2001 the Taliban blew up two giant standing Buddha statues carved into a cliff face saying they were offensive to Islam, despite appeals worldwide.

Later that year U.S.-led and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government, and work has begun to restore the biggest of the two destroyed statues, once the tallest standing Buddha in the world. The mammoth task is expected to take a decade.

The latest discovery has raised hopes of finding a 300-metre-long Buddha statue that according to an ancient Chinese pilgrim is lying in Bamiyan, Afshar said.

[BGHater]

Buddha ping.

Maybe they won’t blow this one up.

[null and void]

Maybe they won’t blow this one up.

They will.

Destroying all is a religious and cultural imperative.

[mnehring]

Glad they found this when the Taliban wasn’t around.

[PGR88]

Here’s one for Sharon Stone. If you believe in Karma

Taliban destroys Giant Buddhas, Taliban themselves are destroyed shortly thereafter

US takes out Taliban and sets up a democratic, popular Government. New Giant Buddhas reappear.

[BenLurkin]

The other relics dated back to the Bacterian era...

Wouldn't that be "Bactrian"?

work has begun to restore the biggest of the two destroyed statues, once the tallest standing Buddha in the world.

Hey, it 's their country. They can blow those things up if they want to.

The mammoth task is expected to take a decade.

They can fix them if they want to, as well. Just so long as none of my tax dollars are paying for it.

[SueRae]

OMG, they sound so close!!! I do hope they are able to find and secure the buddha. A couple of years ago, there was a special on TV but I can’t remember who did it (National Geographic?) They profiled the Afghani archaeologist trying to find this site and the extraordinary efforts many citizens went throug tho preserve art and artifacts during the Taliban regime. If anybody knows of the documentary I’m talking about, please post. I’d love to see that one again.

[VeniVidiVici]

Why were Chinese pilgrims in Bamiyan? Where were they pilgrimming to?

[ViLaLuz]

Many descendants of Genghis Khan live in that region and make up the Hazara people. My guess is that the Chinese pilgrims were going to see the giant buddhas.

[VOA]

“
The latest discovery has raised hopes of finding a 300-metre-long
Buddha statue that according to an ancient Chinese pilgrim is lying
in Bamiyan, Afshar said.
“

Well, maybe they haven’t found the 300 metre/thousand-foot reclining
Buddha...
YET.
But I’ve got to admit what they have now is a great find.

And may we blow into Paradise any Taliban or like-minded PUNKS
BEFORE they attempt to destroy this historic find.
Or any other historic find!!!

The search for this Buddha was previously documented in a Nat. Geographic
show that I saw a few years ago:

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/991/3296/159.html

[BGHater]

Nat Geo Show ping.

[uglybiker]

...seen by a Chinese pilgrim centuries ago when it came upon the relics ...

IT?!!

[SueRae]

Thank you!!!!!!!

[SunkenCiv]

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[xcamel]

Indeed it is... Same people who domesticated the 2 hump camel 7500 years ago..

[Cincinna]

Thanks SC.

For reminding us about those magnificent, giant,Buddhist sculptures blasted and destroyed from their place in the cliffs by the Taliban in 2001. Let us never forget what our enemy, in the name of Islam, has destroyed.

BAMIYAN BUDDHAS BEFORE TALIBAN

BAMIYAN BUDDHAS AFTER TALIBAN

On March 6, 2001 The Times quoted Mullah Mohammed Omar as stating, "Muslims should be proud of smashing idols. It has given praise to God that we have destroyed them." He had changed his position from being in favor of the statues to being against them. During a March 13 interview for Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, Afghan Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakel stated that the destruction was anything but a retaliation against the international community for economic sanctions: "We are destroying the Buddha statues in accordance with Islamic law and it is purely a religious issue".

[VOA]

Please also note that the National Geographic special also included
a segment about Bactrian treasures.
And how some of the staff at the Afghani national art museum disguised
works of art to save them from The Taliban...e.g., using temporary
watercolor (or other media?) to make sure the art works didn’t violate
some of the FREAKIN’ NUTTY Islamic proscriptions against portrayals of
human form in art.

OK, I have to admit that as a fairly conservative guy, it drives me
a bit crazy to learn that such a policy crept into a charter
school in
The Twin Cities area a couple of years ago.
But, overrun by Muslims (especially Somalis, for reasons Clinton-Only-
Knows)...I guess such an outcome in an white-liberal-guilt bastion
isn’t so suprising.

[Larry Lucido]

Oral Roberts’ 900-foot Jesus still trumps Afghanistan’s 62-foot Buddha.

[dfwgator]

What about "Touchdown Jesus."

[lonevoice]

Well done!