Historical mentions
The Chinese traveler Xuanzang (c. 602–644) describes a sangharama (monastery) named ''Pu-se-p'o-k'i-li'' in the south-west region of a country, whose name is variously transliterated as ''U-Cha'' or ''Wu-T-U''. Scholars such as Stanislas Julien and Samuel Beal restored ''Pu-se-po-k'i-li'' as "Pushpagiri", and name of the country as ''Ota'' or "Udra". Scholars identify this country as Odra Kingdom, Odra in present-day Odisha. Xuanzang describes the monastery as follows: A 3rd century inscription of the Andhra Ikshvaku king Vira-purusha-datta, found at Nagarjunakonda (in present-day Andhra Pradesh), mentions that an upasika named Bodhisiri made numerous endowments to Buddhist establishments. One of these included sponsoring the erection of a stone mandapa at "Puphagiri". According to Thomas E. Donaldson, this is likely same as the Pushpagiri mentioned in Xuanzang's records ("Puphagiri" being the Pali form of the Sanskrit "Pushpagiri), and was located in the present-day Odisha. Pratapaditya Pal notes that if this identification is true, the site in Odisha must have been established by at least 3rd century. However, some other scholars, such as Dineshchandra Sircar and B. S. L. Hanumantha Rao, identify this "Puphagiri" with Pushpagiri Temple Complex in the present-day Cuddapah District of Andhra Pradesh. The 9th century Buddhist monk Prajna (Buddhist monk), Prajna, after spending 18 years in various places including Nalanda, settled in an unnamed monastery of ''Wu-ch'a'' (identified with Odra), before going to China. A few scholars, such as Prabhat Mukherjee, identify this monastery with Pushpagiri.Identification
Langudi Hill excavations
In the 1990s, college lecturer Harish Chandra Prusty discovered a Buddhist site on the Langudi Hill in Jajpur district. This is some distant from Udaygiri, the closest of the "triangle" sites, further up the river. In 1993, he and Pradeep Mohanty described the Langudi site in an article published in the ''Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute''. In 1996, the Orissa Institute of Maritime and South East Asia Studies and the Odisha state's archaeology department started exploring the site. Between 1996 and 2006, the Institute carried out excavations of an area stretching over . A fragmented Brahmi script, Brahmi inscription discovered at the site names the site as ''puṣpa sabhar giriya'' ("flower-filled hill"), identified by the excavators as Pushpagiri. In 2000, an excavation conducted by the institute, under the supervision of archaeologist Debraj Pradhan, resulted in the discovery of a large stupa as well as several other archaeological artifacts. The artifacts included pillars, a fragmentary Brahmi inscription, terracota seals and Northern Black Polished Ware. Debraj Pradhan believed the stupa to have been erected by the Maurya empire, Mauryan emperor Ashoka (304–232 BCE): Although Xuanzang suggests that Odra had 10 stupas erected by Ashoka, this is the only one to have been discovered so far. According to B. N. Mukherjee of Calcutta University, who deciphered the Brahmi inscription, the stupa may have been erected by "a lay Buddhist worshipper called Ashoka". By 2007, 34 rock-cut stupas of various sizes had been discovered on the northern part of the hill. A number of Buddhist rock-cut sculptures were discovered on the southern spur (topography), spur of the hill, including sculptures of Dhyanibuddha, Dhyani Buddhas in various postures. According to D. K. Dimri, the superintendent of the ASI's Orissa circle, the archaeological finds at the site cover a period between 1st century CE and 9th century CE, and suggest the existence of a major Buddhist monastic establishment. In 2007, the ASI took over the excavated site.Tourism
In 2005, the Odisha State Government began developing the Langudi Hills site as a tourist place by constructing roads and other facilities. There are other Buddhist attractions around Langudi hills. Kaima hill, in its immediate vicinity, contains a unique rock-cut elephant surrounded by four monolithic khondalite pillars; this dates from the Mauryan empire, Mauryan period in the 3rd century, BCE. Deuli, a hill situated in the confluence of the Brahmani River, Brahmani and Kimiria rivers, has preserved five rock-cut Buddhist chambers inside caves. Additional Buddhist sites have been discovered at Bajragiri, Sarapur and Paikrapur. The Langudi sites are perhaps the largest historic Buddhist complex in India. Langudi can be approached from Jaraka and Chandikhol on the National Highway 5 (India), National Highway 5, and is easily accessible from the urban centres of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. The best months to visit the place are during October to February which are the cooler months.References
{{Authority control Buddhist sites in Odisha Buddhist monasteries in India Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Ancient universities of the Indian subcontinent Buddhist universities and colleges Buildings and structures in Jajpur district Defunct Buddhist monasteries Education in Odisha Former Buddhist temples Former populated places in India Ruins in India Stupas in India 3rd-century Buddhist temples Educational institutions established in the 3rd century 3rd-century establishments in India 11th-century disestablishments in India Archaeological monuments in Odisha Buddhism in Odisha