People of Ghantasala will hand over a ‘smiling Buddha’ idol, which was unearthed here recently, to the Archaeological Survey of India authorities on Wednesday. Hyderabad-based ASI Deputy Superintendent Dr. Kannababu and ASI’s Ethnography expert K. Muniratnam Reddy will receive the idol in the presence of Deputy Speaker M. Buddha Prasad.
ASI experts are likely to inspect the Buddhist museum and stupa at Ghantasala, where several Buddhist remains are yet to be conserved. “Buddhist monk Banteji from Bengaluru will perform puja in the Buddhist tradition to the idol before handing it over to the authorities,” said G. Ramakrishna, who had kept the idol at his residence since it was unearthed.