'Mann Ki Baat': PM Modi shares how blurred photos in France help revive Kashmir's rich ancient Buddhist legacy

New Delhi, Dec 28 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday shared a story highlighting the cultural and historical heritage of Jammu and Kashmir, recalling how a forgotten Buddhist complex in Baramulla was rediscovered with the help of a blurred photograph preserved in a museum in France.

Addressing the 129th episode of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister said, "I want to share a saga about Jammu and Kashmir's cultural and historical heritage that will fill you up with pride. In Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, there is a place called Jehanpora. For years, people had been seeing some tall mounds there. These were ordinary mounds, and no one knew what they were. Then, one day, an archaeologist noticed them."

He explained that when the archaeologist closely examined the site, the mounds appeared unusual.

"When he began to observe the area, these mounds appeared somewhat unusual. Following this, a scientific study of these mounds began. Drones were used to take photographs from above, and the land was mapped. And then some surprising things started to emerge. It turned out that these mounds weren't natural. They were the remains of a large human-made structure. Meanwhile, another interesting connection emerged," the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi further said that a crucial link to the past surfaced far away from India.

"Thousands of kilometres away from Kashmir, an old, blurred photograph was found in the archives of a museum in France. Three Buddhist stupas were visible in that photograph of Baramulla. From here, time took a turn, and Kashmir's glorious past was revealed to us," he said.

Highlighting the historical significance of the discovery, the Prime Minister noted that the findings trace Kashmir's heritage back nearly two millennia.

"This history dates back nearly 2,000 years. This Buddhist complex in Jehanpora, Kashmir, reminds us of Kashmir's past and its rich identity," he added.

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