Ratnagiri was earlier the site of Mahavihara, the major Buddhist monastery. The city is located in the Jajpur district of Odisha near the river valleys of Brahmani and Birupa. Ratnagiri was established during the reign of the Gupta king Narasimha Baladitya in the first half of the 6th century CE, and flourished until the 12th century CE. Ratnagiri is an important site for Buddhist remains which include the series of monasteries, temples, shrines, stupas, and beautiful sculptures of Buddhist images. This ancient city holds great importance for Kalachakratantra.

Excavations in Ratnagiri
The stupas and the monasteries are the main attractions of Ratnagiri. A grand excavation was conducted at the site between 1958 and 1961. The report of these excavations is the result of what today Ratnagiri is popular for. The excavation discovered the remains of six temples, thousands of small stupas, 1386 seals, myriad sculptural relics and architectural pieces of daily use and two magnificent monasteries. The largest stupa was 47 feet square and 17 feet high, which was surrounded by four minor stupas. The main stupa, discovered during the excavation, dates back to the 9th century CE and was constructed on the site of an earlier Gupta-era stupa. Seals were found with the legend "Sri Ratnagiri Mahavihariya Aryabikshu Sanghasya". Prominent, well-preserved standing statues of the Bodhisattvas Vajrapani and Padmapani were also found during the excavation.

Visiting Information to Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri is well connected to all the major cities of the country by air, rail and road. Its closest airport is Bhubaneswar and the nearest railway station is Cuttack, which is 70 km from Ratnagiri. Regular buses are available from Cuttack to reach Ratnagiri by road.

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