Unexplored Bihar

Ramchaura,Hajipur, Vaishali : Ramchura is situated in Hajipur town in Vaishali district of Bihar.  In ancient times Hajipur was known as Ukkacala . The Buddha is known to have taught only one discourse in at this place, the Cula Goplalaka Sutta, which you can find in The Middle Length Discourses. However Hajipur is also of interest because a portion of Ananda's ashes were enshrined in the town. When Ananda knew that his life was drawing to a close he set off from Rajgir and headed north. King Ajatashattru heard about this and, accompanied by his entourage, went after him with the intention of begging him to stay. Meanwhile the people of Vaishali heard that Ananda was coming to their territory and they flocked to the banks of the Ganges to welcome him. When king Ajatasattru caught up with the aged saint his boat had already reached the middle of the river Ganga. The crowds on both banks were imploring him to come to their side. So as not to disappoint either party and to a...

Patliputra Karuna Stupa, Buddha Smriti Park , Patna The Buddha Smriti park is situated in the heart of Patna, Bihar . The central attraction of Buddha Smriti park is the Stupa, known as Patliputra Karuna Stupa  which is 200 feet high and is  situated in the middle of the park. The Stupa contains the relics of Buddha, one amongst the eight original relic excavated from Vaishali, secured in a glass enclosure, where a tiny golden statue of the sitting Buddha is kept along with the pot containing the relic . The relics brought from different countries are put in separate caskets inside the glass case. The holy relics was brought by His Holiness Dalai Lama and the monks from Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka. The dome rises high in the sky and provide a magnificent view of the park. Circular paths around the stupa for parikrama have been provided at three different levels that lead to the highest level of the building. The central hall...

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 ...

  Vishwa Shanti Stupa ( World Peace pagoda ), Vaishali , Bihar :-   The Vishwa Shanti Stupa is erected according to the teaching of the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra (The Lotus Sutra) to disseminate love and peace and to create “the pure land” on the earth. The construction of the stupa all over the world was initiated by the most Ven. Nichidatsu Fujii Guruji , after seeing the tragedy of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki of Japan , at the end of World War II . The Vishwa Shanti Stupa , vaishali has been built by Nipponzan Myhoji and Rajgir Buddha Vihar Society through contribution of devotees in India nad Japan.The Lord Buddha’s relics have been enshrined on the foundation and on the top of the stupa.The Stupa is designed by Dr. M. Ohoka of Japan .Ovarall hight of stupa is 38m with base diameter of 36 m and dome diameter of 20m. Construction was completed in 1996.

Ruins of the Fort of Lichhavi King Vishal ( Raja Viahal Ka Garh ), Vaishali :   Believed to be the mother of Democracy, Vaishali Garh was once the parliament house of Licchavi’s where more than seven thousand representatives of the federal assembly gathered to legislate and discuss the problems of the day.    Historians maintain that one of the world’s first democratic republics with an elected assembly of representatives flourished here in the 6th century B.C. in the time of the Vajjis and the Lichchavis. To the north of Vaishali, an ancient city in the state of Bihar, India, is located a huge mound of 6 ft x 10 ft high, known as Raja Vishal Ka Garh. Maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Raja Vishal Ka Garh is as a protected monument. Raja Vishal ka Garh, spread over 81 acres and which has a mound near Vaishali village that is believed to be the remains of an ancient parliament house, has thrown up some more remarkable secrets recent...