A VOICE OF PEACE FOR GLOBAL INTEGRATION Why a sign campaign is needed today? The basic ideology behind this sign campaign is to protect the stupas which represent Buddha and creation of an international body for the conservation of ancient Buddhist monuments and relics like stupas, monasteries, sculptures, paintings and many more. These stupas have guided the world and humanity towards peace through ages and are needed even today in order to propagate the Dharma as laid by Buddha himself. After his death he was symbolized by Stupas and was worshiped. It was king Ashoka who strengthened and spread Buddhism by building a large number of Stupas, Buddhist monasteries and other Buddhist art works in order to keep lighted the flame of humanity, spirituality and philosophy. King Ashoka took special care that stupas be built at the places which Buddha has visited during his life time. Later these stupas played the crucial role in teaching the path of enlightenment shown by Buddha. People used to pay homage to Stupas in which relics of Buddha used to be kept and they became the place of meditation, discussion and prayers. With the passage of time these stupas have suffered several atrocities both from the natural calamities and different dynastic rulers or kings. Many stupas lost their existence but it was the immortal presence of these stupas that Buddha's teachings kept growing from India to the rest of the world. Hence today if we look back it is only these stupas which have saved Buddha and his Dharma from being lost in the sands of time. Approximately after 2500 years of Buddhism we are left only with few stupas in India and handful of stupas in Haryana, India which are in a neglected and miserable condition. In order to keep the existence of Buddha's life in the state Haryana and non-availability of an international organization related to Buddhist monuments this campaign is being launched. Today if we don't protect them we shall be neglecting our heritage and symbol of Great Master. It will be a disgrace for all of us. OBJECTIVE In past several organizations, individuals were shocked on seeing the isolated and wretched conditions of the stupas in Haryana. They constantly appealed to Archaeological Survey of India and Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana and other concerned authorities to take suitable effective steps to protect these valuable sites and their relics. After observing the non-cooperative attitude from their side there was a need to seek support and intervention from international community. Therefore this international sign campaign is being launched with two major objectives: 1.To preserve and create awareness among the people about the ancient Buddhist stupas in State Haryana of India. 2.The signatures will be submitted to Honorable Prime Minister of Japan and Honorable President of India as a global appeal to form an international body which will collaborate with the Government of Asian countries for promotion, preservation, research and w w w. t h e b u d d h i s h t f o r u m . c o m 1 exploration of ancient Buddhist sites and monuments in Asia.This sign campaign has been planned to reach the countries like Japan,Thai Land, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma and many more countries to create a global awareness. BUDDHA VISITED HARYANA The foothills of Shiwaliks and Aravalis, at present included in Haryana have the marks of the first tool making man. The foundation of settled life was laid at Mehargarh (near Bolan pass in Pakistan) around 7000 BC during the Neolithic era. Later on the Bronze Age Culture developed with successive advancement in socio-economic life. Since then, Haryana has continued to act as window for cultures across the world and through the ages to enter and merge into Indian culture. The age-old and most profitable 'great road' leading to the west and central Asia and encompassing all important trade routes catering to China, Europe and Africa converged and passed through present day Haryana. The Mahavastu attributes sixty thousand cities to the Kuru Kingdom, but the specific names of places mentioned in the Buddhist literature, besides Indapatta and Hatthinipura, are only a few- Thullakotthita, Kammasadamma, Kundi and Varanavata. During the time of Buddha, though the Kuru kingdom may not have been very important politically, yet culturally it seems to have been a prominent state. The Jatakas mention the Kuru kings and princes named Dhananjaya Koravya, Koravya and Sutasoma whose historicity remains to be confirmed by further evidence. The reigning dynasty belonged to Yudhitthila gotta, i.e. the family of Yudhisthira. Kuru chief Koravya (son of a Kuru magnate) is said to have paid a visit to Ratthapala, who had become a disciple of the Sakhya Sage. During the long span of slightly less than half a century after his enlightenment, Buddha himself had taken strenuous journeys from state to state , town to town and village to village to propagate the Faith. Though the heart of Madhyadesa remained the main scene of his activities, yet he is said to have traveled even to distant lands. According to Buddhist texts , it may be said that Buddhism reached Haryana through Buddha himself. The Mahavastu and Digha-Nikaya state that Buddha himself converted the people of the Kuru tribe.The Vinaya of the Mulasarvastivadins refers to Buddha's long journey along with Ananda from Hastinapura to Rohitaka via Mahanagara. Srughna, Brahmanagrama and Kalanagara and from there to Gandhara and Uddiyana and back with Yaksa Vajrapani. Rohitaka is doubtlessly modern Rohtak and Srughna was rightly identified by Cunningham with Sugh near Jagadhri. Dipavamsa refer to Buddha's visit to a city in the Kuru country where he received alms on the banks of the Anotatta lake which he crossed. The city may have been Kurukshetra if w w w. t h e b u d d h i s h t f o r u m . c o m 2 the Anotatta lake is Anyatahplaksa of the Satapatha Brahmana (IX 5.1, 4)Thullakotthita and Kammasadamma find repeated references in the Buddhist literature as the places where Buddha used to stay during his sojourns to the Kuru country. Buddha delivered numerous discourses at these places. During his visits to the Kuru country, Buddha usually stayed at Kammasadamma which was a celebrated trade centre. According to the Buddhist texts, ten stupas were erected at different places following Buddha's parinibbana. Ashoka is said to have collected relics from of these Saririka stupas and redistributed them into 84,000 stupas which he built subsequently throughout the length and breadth of his empire. There is, however, no doubt that Ashoka may have erected a large number of stupas. Fahien, who visited India during the Gupta period, refers to the existence of Buddhist establishments on both sides of the river Yamuna. Some of these many have been of Ashoka period.It is generally believed perhaps erroneously, that Buddhism disappeared from the land of its birth because of the hostility of the Hindus. Post-Harsa Buddhist relics are rather rare. The discovery of an eighth century bronze image of Buddha in Bhumi-sparsa-mudra amongst a large hoard of Jaina images found from Hansi some years back, sandstone head of Buddha from Sanghi in district Rohtak ascribable to the same period, a broken Buddha head from Rohtak and another from Adi Badri datable to circa 9th-10th centuries, indicate that Buddhism did not disappear altogether from this part of the country. That it continued to exist in Haryana as late as about the fourteenth century is proved by an image recovered from a temple at Taraori in district Karnal showing Buddha seated on a lotus pedestal in bhumi-sparsa- mudra. We thus see that though efforts were made during the very lifetime of Buddha yet Buddhism could flourish in Haryana only during the reign of Ashoka. It continued to be an important religion during the Sunga, Indo-Greek and Sakhya rule and touched its all time height in the region during the Kusana period. Thereafter, though it received good impetus by Harsa during the seventh century A.D. yet it could not retain its old glory and importance. It, however, continued to be a living religion during the medieval period and did not disappear completely. Rohtak,Agroha,Sugh and Thanesar have been the most important centres of Buddhism in Haryana during the ancient period. w w w. t h e b u d d h i s h t f o r u m . c o m 3 BUDDHIST STUPA AT AGROHA Location : Village Agroha, Tehsil-Adampur,District Hissar. Situation : Situated on the National Highway No. 10, 22km. from Hissar towards Fatehabad. Under the Protection of : Archaeological Survey of India Period : Circa 4th Century BC to 14th Century AD HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION The city of Agroha was situated on the ancient trade route between Taxila and Mathura. And, therefore, it remained an important center of commerce and political activities till a new township of Hisar-e-Firoza (Hissar) of Firoz Shah Tughluq came into existence. A hoard of 4 Indo Greek, one punch marked coins and fifty one coins of Agodaka were found from the site. The discovery of the coins of Agreya Janpada (Republic) during excavations and its ancient name Agodaka in Literature are sufficient to prove its being the headquarters of republic. This site was excavated by C. J. Rodgers in 1888-89 and re- excavated by H. L Srivastava in 1938-39 of Archaeological at survey of India to a depth of about 3.65m. This site was further excavated by Shri P.K.