Kurkihar is located 22 km away from Gaya town in the state of Bihar. The place has great relevance for Buddhists across the world. In the excavation of the site several statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas have been found which suggest that the place had great significance. The place has remnants of the ancient Buddhist Monastery and two Hindu temples. In the year 1930, approximately 148 bronze artifacts were excavated from this area.The place has a large mound which, according to the historians, was a big Buddhist monastery. Later, in the year 1930 the place was excavated and antiquities were founded comprising of Buddha and Bodhisattvas in all shapes and sizes, the historians and archaeologists were convinced that the place was a Buddhist monastery during early centuries. These archeological evidences show that the place must have been a flourishing Buddhist center.
Other than the Buddhist monastery, Kurkihar has two Hindu temples. The architecture of these temples is splendid and a fine example of great workmanship. One of the two temples at Kurkihar has an extensive collection of Buddhist sculptures found in that region. The statue of Akshobhya Buddha is placed at the entrance gate of the temple. The temples, according to some historians, belong to ninth century and stands on 14 carved pillars.
Some of the antiquities excavated from Kurkihar are now exhibited in the Patna Museum and some in the Indian Museum in Kolkata. An inscription found at the site says that an inhabitant of Kerala in Dakshindesa i.e.South India constructed a ‘Gandha Kuti’ or temple of Sugata i.e. Lord Buddha. That temple now in the form of a mound and is locally called ‘Sugatghar.’ More strikingly, the existing name of the village is Kikkutapada Girivihar named after Kukkutapada Giri. The Kukkutapada Giri, historically was a hill of high sanctity mentioned both by Fa-hien and Hiuen -Tsang, the Chinese travelers of 4th and 7th century AD.
