Indian Tourist Sites – in the Footsteps of the Buddha
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INDIAN TOURIST SITES – IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA Adarsh Batra* Abstract The Chinese pilgrims Fa Hien and Hsuan Chwang). Across the world and throughout the ages, religious people have made The practice of pilgrimages. The Buddha Buddhism flourished long in himself exhorted his followers to India, perhaps reaching a zenith in visit what are now known as the the seventh century AD. After this great places of pilgrimage: it began to decline because of the Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, invading Muslim armies, and by the Rajgir, Nalanda and twelfth century the practice of the Kushinagar. The actions of the Dharma had become sparse in its Buddha in each of these places are homeland. Thus, the history of described within the canons of the the Buddhist places of pilgrimage scriptures of the various traditions of from the thirteenth to the mid- his teaching, such as the sections on nineteenth centuries is obscure Vinaya, and also in various and they were mostly forgotten. compendia describing his life. The However, it is remarkable that sites themselves have now been they all remained virtually undis- identified once more with the aid turbed by the conflicts and develop- of records left by three pilgrims of ments of society during that period. the past (The great Emperor Ashoka, Subject only to the decay of time *The author has a Ph.D. in Tourism from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (K.U.K.), India. He has published extensively in Tourism and Travel Magazines. Currently he is a lecturer in MA- TRM program in the Graduate School of Business of Assumption University of Thailand. 46 ABAC Journal Vol. 23, No.2 (May - August, 2003), pp. 46 - 57 Indian Tourist sites – In the footsteps of the Buddha they remained dormant, waiting for tourism. And yet India has failed rediscovery. to exploit the Buddhist angle, the most potential. Buddhism was born in From the middle of the last India. But it almost disappeared century, the Archeological Survey of from the country of its origin. It is , India, under the auspices of the however, a major force in much of British Government, and one Asia – in China, Japan, Korea, Englishman in particular -- General Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sir Alexander Cunningham -- Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, unearthed and identified many sites. Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Since that time, owing to a renewed Mongolia, and so on. Indian interest in Buddhism and the devotion and hardship of many NORTH EAST INDIA individuals, the pilgrimage sites have been revived. 100 kms from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Kapilavastu (Piprahwa) on the The following account is Gorakhpur Gonda loop-line with intended less to present a purely Naugarh (35 kms.) is the nearest historical record of the places of railway station. The capital city of the pilgrimage than to offer some Sakya clan, and one of the earliest information and perhaps inspiration to republics, it was in other pilgrims, with the wish that this Kapilavastu’s opulent environs, that revival may increase. the holy soul of prince Siddharth (Gautam Buddha) spent his INTRODUCTION childhood. Here he saw sorrow and pain, disease and death. Then, In 566 BC, in the little state of finally when he saw a radiant Kapilvastu at the foot of the happy Sadhu who had conquered all Himalayas, was born a son, these, he decided to renounce all Siddharatha, to Suddhodana, a worldly riches and pleasures to seek Sakya prince, and his wife truth and embark on the path of Mayadevi. Seers proclaimed that the salvation. The place holds significant new-born would either conquer the value for Buddhist pilgrims and has world or be a Buddha- the enlighted several Stupas. The archaeological one. The prophesy came true excavations have revealed stone caskets when Gautama attained Supreme containing relics believed to be that of Knowledge (bodhi) and laid the Buddha’s. foundation of a religion which is today practiced by one-third of the Sarnath, about 10 kms. from the world’s population. holy city of Varanasi, is the blessed locale where more than 2500 years ago In India, it is pilgrimage which is Buddha chose to deliver his first the most important segment of domestic 47 Adarsh Batra sermon, after attaining Enlightenment. is said to have rested and meditated The five disciples who had followed here while in Sarnath. him were surprised to see the mesmerizing glowing countenance of Kaushambi, 54 kms from Buddha, who then delivered his first Allahabad, was visited by Buddha in sermon before them, now termed the 6th and 9th years after his Dharamachakra Pravartan. This set in enlightenment. He delivered several motion the great Buddhist tradition of sermons here, elevating it to a center of the Sangha, for popularizing the learning for Buddhists. Today one can teachings of the great ascetic, world- see the ruins of an Ashokan Pillar, an wide. Gautam Buddha with his five old fort and the Ghositaram Monastery. disciples formed the first Sangha The archaeological excavations here alongwith Yasa of Varanasi and his 54 have yielded a large number of friends. sculptors and figurines, coins, punch- marked and cast coins and terracotta The beginning of the celebrated sculptures which show the reverence Mantra, ‘Buddham Sharanam the city was held in by the devout, in Gachhami’, owes its origin to Sarnath. times gone by. All these religious finds The three Jewels of historical and archaeological importance can be viewed at the “ I go for refuge to the Buddha, Allahabad Museum. I go for refuge to the Wheel of Law, I go for refuge to the Sangha” Kushinagar ( Kushinagar of Yore) is a revered place for Buddhist pilgrims, first laid down here, have remained 55 kms away from Gorakpur. It was unchanged ever since. Hence rightly, here that the Tathagata, the reciter of every Buddhist Pilgrim after Bodhgaya, truth, breathed his last with the last endeavors to be blessed with a visit to words. "Behold now, brethren, I exhort Sarnath in his life time. you, saying, decay is inherent in all component things! Work out your Dhamekh Stupa bears particular salvation with diligence!” A temple significance at Sarnath as it signifies the dedicated to the event the “seat of the holy Buddha”, as he Mahaparinirvana temple today stands proclaimed his faith. It is about 34 mtrs. amidst a serene ‘sal’ grove ......... as if in height and including the foundations, still reminiscing the great demise. The it can be measured upto 42 mtrs. huge statue of the Reclining Buddha Besides Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath also excavated in 1876 at the temple, is one has the ruins of Dharmajajika Stupa and of the most momentous of all sights for that of the original Mulgandhakuti the devout. It was brought form Temple which according to Hieun Mathura by a devout monk, Haribala Tsang was about 61 mtrs. high. Buddha during the reign of King Kumara Gupta 48 Indian Tourist sites – In the footsteps of the Buddha in the 5th century AD. Sravast has age-old Stupas, majestic monasteries and several temples. The whole of Kushinagar, since the Buddha is said to have performed some Mahaparinirvana of Gautam Buddha, miracles here. This holy place also has was turned into a memorial site with the famous Anand Bodhi tree, an Stupas including the relic stupa- offspring of the one said to have been Mukutbandhana and Gupta period planted by Buddha’s main disciple Chaitayas and Viharas, built by the Anand. devout kings. The Chinese travelers Fa Hien, Hieun Tasang and T. Ising visited Kushinagar during different centuries EASTERN INDIA and recorded a graphic account of the place which later fell to bad times, due Bodhgaya, in the state of Bihar, to lack of patronage. These recordings reckoned as the most important provided the vital clues for excavations Buddhist pilgrimage center, is the place done centuries later by Sir Alexander where Lord Sakyamuni (Gautam Cunningham. Buddha) entered into mediation after being moved by the sufferings of The visiting sites of Kushinagar mankind. The giant Bodhi Tree fall in three categories: The (Peepal) that we see today is believed to Mahaparinirvana Temple, commemo- have grown from the original Bodhi rating the place of the great decease Tree under which, sitting on the raised with a reclining statue of Lord Buddha. platform, Prince Siddharth mediated Mata Kunwar Shrine contains a 10th and finally attained Nirvana. Century blue schist image of Buddha Monasteries raised here by Burmese, and; Rambhar Stupa, which is Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese and Thai supposedly the spot where Lord devotees, in their native architectural Buddha was cremated and his relics styles, are worth visiting. Then there is divided into eight equal parts. Apart Chaukramana, the Jewel Walk, where it from this, a Chinese Temple, a Buddhist is believed that the Buddha strolled Temple, a Tibetan Temple and the Indo- while in deep thought. Japan-Srilanka Buddhist Center hold significant religious value for pilgrims. The magnificent Maha Bodhi temple in Bodhgaya is an architectural Situated 134 kms. from Lucknow amalgamation of many cultures. The and 29 kms. from Balrampur, Sravasti, temple bears the stamp of the the capital of the ancient kingdom of architecture of the Gupta Dynasty and Kosala, has the honor for sheltering subsequent ages. On the walls of the Buddha for 24 rainy seasons in the temple, one sees Buddha carved in Jetvana Gardens. The city believed to different aspects, and in the sanctum be founded by the mythological king sanctorum, a colossal Buddha, is seen 49 Adarsh Batra touching the ground, which has (Department of tourism). Sujata Sthan mythological significance in the or Durgeshwari Temple stands as a Buddhist lores. The temple carries symbol commemorating this event. inscriptions recording the visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, China and Nalanda, 90 kms south of Patna, Mayanmar.