Ancient site · Monument
Lauriya Nandangarh
Also known as Lauria Nandangarh
A village in West Champaran, Bihar, with one of the best-preserved pillars of Ashoka: a single polished sandstone shaft crowned by a seated lion. It carries six of Ashoka's Pillar Edicts on moral conduct and was probably one of a line of pillars along the royal road from Pataliputra towards Nepal.
Nearby rise the large brick stupa mound of Nandangarh and rows of earthen burial mounds, partly excavated in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Dates
- pillar c. 243–236 BCE (dating of Ashoka's reign varies)
- Still standing
- Yes
- Location
- 27.00° N, 84.41° E
How we know
The pillar carries six of Ashoka's Pillar Edicts in Brahmi, cut late in his reign.
Nearby sites
- Lumbini pillar of Ashoka c. 249–242 BCE (Ashoka's 20th regnal year)
- Pataliputra (Kumhrar) c. 600 BCE–600 CE
- Sarnath c. 250 BCE–1194 CE
- Nalanda c. 427 CE–c. 1400 CE
- Bharhut railings c. 125–100 BCE (some argue 1st century CE); later abandoned
- Hastinapur Painted Grey Ware town c. 1100–800 BCE (Lal; 2021–22 dig: from c. 1500 BCE); occupied into medieval times