Unexplored Bihar

A.     Swastika Shaped Monastery :- Swastika Shaped Monastery is situated in the ruins of ancient Vaishali . This twelve room monastery looks like a Swastika on a plan having three rooms on each arm attached to common verandah around an open central courtyard having entrance towards east. The monastery has a toilet chamber attached to its southern wall. It was constructed during Gupta period probably for the nuns.

  Kutagarshala :          The Kutagarshala represents the spot were Buddha used to stay during the rainy seasons spent at Vaishali. Excavation have exposed three phase of its construction. Originally it was a small chaitya built during Sunga-Kushan period. Subsequently it was enlarged to a lofty temple in second phase during Gupta period. And finally in the third phase the temple was converted into a monastery by providing a number of partition walls during post Gupta period.

  Buddha Relic Stupa , Vaishali :- This is one amongst the eight original relic stupas built over the corporeal remains of Buddha. According to Buddhist traditions, after attaining Mahapariniryana, his body was cremated by the Mallas of Kushinagar with royal ceremony befitting a universal king and the mortal remains were distributed among eight claimants including the Lichhavis of Vaishali. Seven others were Ajatshatru the king of Magadha, Sakyas of Kapilavastu, Bulis of Alakappa, Koliyas of Ramagram, A Brahmin of Vethoweep and Mallas of Pava and Kushinagar. This was originally a small mud stups measuring 8.07 meters in diameter raised in 5 th  century B.C. Later during Maurya, Sunga and Kushan periods it was encased with bricks and enlarged in four phases which increased the diameter ti 12.00 meters. The Ayaka projection noticed towards south and east is probabally the earliest examples of Ayakapattas. The most remarkable discovery is the Relic casket ...