Vaishali (ancient city)

Coordinates: 25°59′N 85°08′E / 25.99°N 85.13°E / 25.99; 85.13
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Vaishali
Vaiśālī
Licchavi
UTC+5:30 (IST
)

Vaishali, Vesali or Vaiśālī was a city in present-day

Tirhut Division.[1]

It was the capital city of the

Jain and Buddhist religions.[2][3] It contains one of the best-preserved of the Pillars of Ashoka, topped by a single Asiatic lion
.

Vaishali is also home to possibly the earliest known example of a stupa, the Buddha relic stupa which is said to contain the ashes of the Buddha.[4][5]

The city finds mention in the travel accounts of Chinese explorers,

Vaishali District, Bihar.[6][7]

Etymology

Vaishali derives its name from

Stupa at vaishali

History

Mahajanapada
, 600 BCE.
Abhishek Pushkarini, the coronation tank, near Buddha Relic Stupa, Vaishali

Even before the advent of

Lord Rama
.

Vaiśālī is also renowned as the land of

Buddha. Manudev was a famous king of the illustrious Lichchavi clan of the confederacy, who desired to possess Amrapali after he saw her dance performance in Vaishali.[11]

A kilometer away is Abhishek Pushkarini, the coronation tank. The

Nipponzan Myohoji sect of Japan. A small part of the Buddha's relics found in Vaiśālī have been enshrined in the foundation and in the chhatra of the Stupa.[citation needed
]

Near the coronation tank is Stupa 1 or the Relic Stupa. Here the Lichchavis reverentially encased one of the eight portions of the Master's relics, which they received after the Mahaparinirvana. After his last discourse the Awakened One set out for

Ānanda, the personal attendant of the Buddha, attained Nirvana in the midst of the Ganges outside Vaiśālī.[citation needed
]

By the time Xuanzang visited Vaiśālī in the early 7th century, it was on the decline: he wrote of it that "the capital is ruined" and "it may be called a village or town" (as opposed to a city).[12]: 150 

Visits of the Buddha to Vaiśālī

A Buddhist shrine amidst the Vihara, Vaiśālī

Vaishali is well known for its close association with the Buddha. After leaving Kapilavastu for renunciation, Prince Siddhartha came to Vaishali first and undertook his initial spiritual training from

Mahaparinirvana (the final departure from the world) just three months in advance. Before leaving for Kusinagara, where he died, he left his alms-bowl (Bhiksha-Patra) here with the people of Vaishali.[13]

Jainism at Vaishali

Prince Vardhaman (Lord Mahavira) used this seal after the Judgement

The

Uttarapurāṇa
,
King Chetaka.[16]
Vaiśālī was also the residence of Kandaramasuka and Pātikaputta.

Notable Buddhist sites in Vaishali

Kutagarasala Vihara
Asokan pillar
at Kolhua, Vaiśālī
Buddha's ashes Stupa built by the Licchavis, Vaiśālī

Relic stupa

Near the coronation tank is Stupa 1 or the Relic Stupa. Here the

Kesariya village, where Ashoka later built a stupa.[17]

As per recent research, the relic stupa is potentially one of the earliest archaeologically known stupas.[18]

Kutagarasala Vihara

Kutagarasala Vihara is the monastery where Buddha most frequently stayed while visiting Vaiśālī. It is located 3 kilometres from the relic Stupa, and on its ground can be found the

Asokan pillar in very good condition (perhaps the only complete Asokan pillar left standing), and an ancient pond.[19]

Coronation Tank

A few hundred

metres from the Relic Stupa is Abhishek Pushkarini
, the coronation tank. The sacred waters of the tank anointed the elected representatives of Vaiśālī.

World Peace Pagoda

Visva Santi Stupa

Next to the coronation tank stands the Japanese temple and the Viśvā Śānti Stūpa (

Nipponzan-Myōhōji
. A small part of the Buddha's relics found in Vaiśālī have been enshrined in the foundation and in the chhatra of the Stupa.

The Vaishali Museum was established in 1971 by the Archaeological Survey of India to preserve and display the antiquities found during the exploration of sites around ancient Vaishali.

Recent development

Historical figures from Vaishali

Vimalakirti, 8th century wall painting, Dunhuang
  • Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. Born into a royal kshatriya family in what is now Vaishali district of Bihar. He abandoned all worldly possessions at the age of 30 and became an ascetic. He is considered a slightly older contemporary of the Buddha.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tirhut Division". tirhut-muzaffarpur.bih.nic.in. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  2. from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  3. from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  4. .
  5. .
  6. from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  7. from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Vaishali". tourism.bihar.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  9. ^ "BSTDC". BSTDC. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  10. ^ Vaishali Archived 13 June 2021 at the Wayback MachineEncyclopædia Britannica
  11. ^ "Amrapali was more than a luscious courtesan - Times of India". The Times of India. 31 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  12. . Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  13. .
  14. ^ a b Pannalal Jain 2015, p. 482.
  15. ^ Pannalal Jain 2015, p. 484.
  16. ^ Sunavala 1934, p. 52.
  17. JSTOR 44141446
    .
  18. .
  19. .
  20. ^ Kumar, Madan (20 February 2019). "Nitish Kumar launches work for Buddha museum and stupa in Vaishali | Patna News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  21. ^ PM inaugurates 12 railway projects in Bihar Archived 28 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine constructionweekonline.in
  22. .
  23. .
  24. .

Further reading

External links

  • Gautama Buddha concerning Vesali: (more
    )
  1. Sunakkhatta Sutta - To Sunakkhatta
  2. Maha-sihanada Sutta - The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar''