Buddhism in India was almost extinct before being revived by Dr Ambedkar in 1956. However, in Maniabandha and Nuapatna villages of Cuttack, an unbroken Buddhist community has existed for a thousand years. They are all weavers and make fine silk sarees. #BuddhaPurnima

Their faith incorporates Jagannath into the Buddhist pantheon. Various local Hindu deities are also worshipped. The Dalai Lama is also venerated as the Living Buddha in recent times. Their elders claim to have migrated from Bengal - which may be plausible.

Marriage is endogamous, though they also marry into semi Buddhist communities in Choudwar where worship of Tara, Marichi and Avalokiteshwara under other names is common.

For 500 years, they have been the only Buddhists in India outside the Himalayas and Chittagong.

This hillock has an ancient cave perhaps used by bhikkus earlier. Now rarely visited. The new Buddhist temple is entirely Tibetan inspired.

In Cuttack town itself, the Basuli Temple at Baniasahi has two images worshipped as Brahma and Basuli Thakurani. The male is a magnificent 9th c Lokeshwara flanked by Tara and Haygriva. The other is Cunda - a female Bodhisattva. They were probably bought to Cuttack by John Beames