Bihar’s Ranivas Mound declared a monument of national importance
An ancient mound in Bihar’s East Champaran district has been declared an archaeological site of national importance following a notification by the central government.
The site — Ranivas Mound in Kesariya — is spread over an area of 1.63 acres and is owned by the Bihar government, according to a November 4 gazette issued by the culture department.
Copies of the said notification were made available to the public on June 8, 2026 and “no objection was received” from any person with regard to the Central Government’s statement, said the notification signed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Director General Yadubir Singh Rawat.
A copy of the notice has been affixed in a conspicuous place as required by sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
“Now, therefore, the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958) hereby declares the said archaeological site and remains specified in the site plan and schedule annexed hereto to be of national importance,” the gazette notification said.
A total of 3,686 posts across the country are under the care of ASI, the center informed Parliament in February 2026.
A recommendation to list the ancient mound of Ranivas in Bihar as a centrally protected monument has been sent to the ASI headquarters in Delhi in 2021, a senior official told PTI in September 2022.
Proposals or recommendations sent by ASI regional circles are reviewed by a team at the headquarters of the organization as per the existing procedure before a final decision is made to designate them as monuments or sites of national importance.
In the case of meritorious proposals and recommendations, a preliminary announcement is made first, followed by the issuance of a final published announcement.
A senior official said the inclusion of new sites under the purview of the ASI is an ongoing process based on recommendations received from time to time from various “circles” or regions of the ASI across the country.
Centrally protected places in Bihar come under the jurisdiction of ASI’s Patna Circle.
Currently, 70 places in Bihar are under the purview of ASI and are managed by Patna Circle, which is one of the oldest regional circles in India.
The Patna Circle was formerly known as the Middle Eastern Circle and even earlier as the Buddhist Circle, reportedly because of the important Buddhist monuments located in the area, according to the circle’s website.
The ruins of the ancient Nalanda University in Bihar, also under the ASI, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Other centrally protected sites in Bihar include the majestic tomb of Sher Shah Suri; tomb of Hasan Shah Suri; Rohtasgarh Fort in Rohtas District; Kumrahar, Bulandibagh and Sandalpur localities; Mir Ashraf ki Masjid in Patna; ancient mound at Bargaon, Nalanda; sculptures of various Hindu deities carved on the north and east faces of some rocks on the Kauvadol hill at Kurisarai, Gaya; Ashokan pillar at Lauriya Areraj, East Champaran; and Vikramshila Monastery in Bhagalpur.
The ancestral home of India’s first President Rajendra Prasad at Ziradei, Siwan, North Bihar was officially declared a protected monument on 27 May 1991. Its provisional notification was made on 30 October 1990.
The Shiva Temple in Gaya was notified by the ASI in 1996. Since then, no new site in Bihar has been brought under the purview of the ASI, a senior official said in September 2022.
Asked when the first notification was made for the Bihar region, an ASI official said, “A total of eight to nine places were notified in 1909.”
Patna Circle used to cover Jharkhand and a large number of places in eastern Uttar Pradesh. While the Ranchi circle was created in 2003 after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, a separate Sarnath circle was created in 2013 for places falling in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The ASI was founded in 1861, with Alexander Cunningham as the first head of the institution.
Published – 07 Nov 2026 22:17 IST