Daya River Valley in Puri is the new tourist gem that Odisha has discovered. As per the reports, the archaeologists have found a Buddhist relic of an elephant, and it is supposedly believed to be 2,300 years old. It is carved from a single piece of rock near the backdrop of an ancient river. Approximately, the statue happens to be 3 feet tall, and it symbolizes the stone guardian letting the visitors peek into the bygone era through it. The river valley’s other Buddhist statues of the elephant give similar vibes to the elephant statue. According to the reports, the elephant rock sculpture was founded by the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage in Gada Balabhadrapur Village this June.
The deeply rooted significance of the Buddhist teachings can be seen in the artifact. On ‘Udana’ the Buddhist scripture essence is also quoted and in the quoting, there is a line mentioned “In the quiet solitude of the forests, the spiritual giant finds solace, as does the mighty elephant.” It is also said that Buddha was incarnated as an elephant in his previous birth. Buddhist elephant statue can be found across the Daya River Valley, the statue also resembles a lot like the one seen in Dhauli, 12 km away from Gada Balabhadrapur village.
