Buddhist Remains, Mansar

Mansar is a census town in Ramtek tehsil of Nagpur district, Maharashtra, where excavations beginning in the 1990s uncovered the remains of a palace complex, temple structures, and a Buddhist monastery. Archaeologists have identified the site as Pravarapura, the capital established by the Vakataka king Pravarasena II in the first half of the 5th century CE, making it a rare excavated example of an early historic royal capital in central India.

After the decline of the Vakatakas, the palace at Mansar was reportedly destroyed by the Nala king Bhavadattavarman, and a Buddhist stupa was subsequently raised over part of the ruins, reflecting the influence of the Vishnukundin dynasty of Andhra Pradesh in the region. Excavations carried out jointly by the Archaeological Survey of India, RTM Nagpur University, and local research bodies between 1994 and 2008 recovered thousands of artefacts, along with the remains of several shrines and the identified palace complex.

The site remains an active area of archaeological study, offering insight into the Vakataka dynasty's architecture and its transition to later Buddhist use.