Tilpi and Dhosa Archaeological Site

When I told my friend that we will be going to Tilpi and Dhosa then my friend was kind of shocked thinking that I was referring to having Jilipi (sweetmeat) and Dosa for lunch and must be planning to check out a new restaurant. I had to repeat myself that it’s a name of a place rather than the specific names of two villages Tilpi and Dhosa which are archaeological sites. Surprisingly these two villages on the southern end of Bengal land mass right before the start of the Sundarbans have Buddhist Archaeological remains.

I have been actively visiting Buddhist sites across Odisha and Bihar and have blogged about these places also. What was always puzzling my mind was why only Odisha and Bihar had a history of Buddhism and why Bengal which joins the two states had nothing significant.  

History of Tilpi and Dhosa

The Archaeological records found in Tilpi make this place date back to around three periods. Period one is dated to the 2^nd to 1^st century BC whereas period three is dated to the 2^nd to 3^rd century AD. A lot of artifacts found here belong to the early Gupta Period.

There was a sudden end to the occupation of this place around the 2^nd – 3^rd century AD indicating some sort of devastation. Archeologists suggest that a massive fire could have been the reason behind this. Post this period no record of human civilization was recorded till around the 16^th – 17^th century AD.

Fa-Hien when he had come to India talked about a large stupa located which can be corresponded to the current location of Dhosa. The excavation process at Dhosa unraveled lots of terracotta bricks indicating the presence of a large well-built structure.  

Both Tilpi and Dhosa are geographically located next to the Piyali river which again connects to Matla and Bidyadhari Rivers. And if we look back in time then Chandraketugarh was located on the banks of the Bidyadhari River which was once a major trading port attracting trade from all over the world.

The Tilpi Dhosa Adventure

It took around two and a half hours to reach Dhosa and another fifteen minutes drive towards the south will take you to the Archaeological site of Tilpi. Do not expect anything visual and it was tough trying to navigate the small concrete village roads trying to reach the spot. After asking a few locals and missing a few turns finally the site was reached.

With nothing visually seen it was a bit confusing, all that I could see was an open playing field and a club where local boys were playing carrom. Upon asking them they pointed toward the end of the field where there were lots of bamboo trees and a large mobile tower.

On inspecting nothing much could be made out; it was then a local man showed what remains of Archaeological digs which have now been covered up. The excavation was done years back (2005 – 2007) and the team found some terracotta and metal objects. No structures resembling a stupa were seen but random bricks were seen which could be assumed were part of some structure.

Off the record, the localities talked about rampant digging and looting of metal and other precious objects by some villagers which were sold off with the help of agents. Much before the government agencies could come and start digging a significant portion of the catch was already taken out.

The villagers were a bit offended by the lack of apathy shown by the government agencies who had promised the villagers that the place will be developed into a tourism hotspot and that would help the villagers. Nothing happened and after the dig was over the sections were simply covered up and that was the end of the story.

On the return journey, we stopped at Dhosa which was another Archaeological site and with the midday heat picking up we stopped at a shop to have some fizzy drinks. It’s my nature to strike up a conversation with the shop owners so that additional information could be gathered. Luckily the shop owner was very much aware of the Dhosa Archaeological site, he used to watch the team dig up the place for hours and informed that the site was barely five hundred meters from his shop.

He gave us easy directions as to just look out for the football ground. After a couple of minutes ride, we reach a small football ground but unlike any ground which would have level ground consisting of either soil or grass this small ground had rather an uneven surface and the ground was full of broken pieces of bricks.

Confused I ask a group of children and they happily point me to this very ground as the Dhosa Archaeological site. Similar to that to Tilpi the authorities had dug up and did their excavation and after finding a few artifacts then closed up the dig site. Unlike Tilpi a lot of terracotta bricks were discovered here which made it almost certain of remains from an earlier monastery or stupa.

In a way, I was very disappointed, while Buddhist Archaeological sites in Odisha and Bihar are so much visited and highlighted in media no one talks about these Buddhist Archaeological sites of Bengal. Disappointed I pick up a small piece of terracotta brick from the ground as a reminder to myself of what should not be done to any heritage sites like these.

Artifacts at State Archaeological Museum in Behala

Back home I made a couple of visits to the State Archaeological Museum in Behala as most of the excavated finds from Tilpi and Dhosa are supposed to be housed there and put on display. Thankfully there was a room and all the artifacts were displayed with proper labeling. The team at the museum was also helpful in explaining a lot about these sites. There are some books on sale out here which has more information about these two places but unfortunately, all of them are in Bengali.

I wish to thank my friends and Behala State Archaeological Museum for extending permission to photograph the original excavated artifacts.

How To Reach Tilpi and Dhosa

From Kolkata, it’s around 48 kilometers and the best way to reach both Tilpi and Dosha is by car or motorcycle. The road to the Tilpi site is very narrow so I would suggest parking your car at a distance and walking the last few hundred meters on foot.

Tip: The locals might sound a bit agitated so it’s better to approach them making it very clear that you are tourists and do not represent any government organization.

Location of Tilpi and Dosha on Map

Resources

The Telegraph
Outlook India

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