Stucco Art of Nalanda Excavated Site, District Nalanda, Bihar: An Archaeological Overview

Stucco art is the manifestation of innate beliefs, outlook and purpose expressing the materialised vitality and activity of religious believe. Stucco art in any form is an expression of religion, the inner self of an individual, person or group of people. Every culture on Earth produces visual art as an expression of its creative self. Stucco art is one of them. The present paper is mainly going to discuss about the Stucco work done in the land of ancient Magadh i.e. Bihar. Their Nomenclatures, Method of Preparation and Purpose, Brief about Ruins of Ancient University Nalanda, Decade of Excavations, Stucco of Nalanda as Nalanda School of Art, Process of making, Technique behind its creation, Different Period and its gradual development, Comparative study with other Buddhist site in India, Threats of Stucco art, Preventive Conservation and Review of Archaeological Conservation.

Keywords: Stucco, Nalanda, Maniyarmath, Aphsad, Kesariya, Vikramshila, Bodhgaya, Conservation.