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The Kashmir Timeline

Harwan

A Buddhist site known for its moulded terracotta tiles.

Harwan photograph

Photo: Deepank Ranka · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Excavations at Harwan uncovered the remains of a Buddhist monastery complex built in terraces on a hillside. Its courtyards were paved with thousands of terracotta tiles stamped with dancers, musicians, animals, hunters and plants, a rare window into daily life and dress in early Kashmir.

Facts

  • Some tiles carry numerals in the Kharosthi script, used as guides for laying them in order.
  • Some scholars identify Harwan with Kundalavana, the traditional site of the Fourth Buddhist Council.