Vadnagar, Buddhist Site in Gujarat

108 km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Vadnagar has antiquities of centuries. Its importance as a thriving Buddhist centre since 2nd century AD finds mention in the travelogue of the great Chinese traveler and Buddhist monk, Hiuen-Tsang, also known as Xuanzang, who visited the place in the 7th Century AD.

According to Hiuen-Tsang, there were ten monasteries in Vadnagar when he visited the place.

Going by the description of Hiuen-Tsang who refers to Vadnagar as Anandpur in his accounts, the town was home to around 1,000 Buddhist monks of Sammitiya School’ .

The recent discovery of the remains of a Buddhist monastery in Vadnagar has reinforced the claim of Hiuen-Tsang. In 1992, a Bodhisattva statue dating back to 2nd century AD was excavated from Vadnagar. This Bodhisattva image seems to be produced at the Mathura school of art in the 2nd -4rth century and was brought here to be placed at the monastery. All these factors have led to the emergence of Vadnagar as an important Buddhist destination in Gujarat.

In 2020, a Buddhist Chaitya has been found during excavations at Vadnagar.

How to reach Vadnagar

Air: the nearest international airport to Vadnagar is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad which is connected by flights with major cities in India. Ahmedabad is also connected by air with overseas destinations like Kuwait, Doha, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and London.

By rail: The Vadnagar railway station lies on the Mehsana-Taranga line, that directly connects Vadnagar with the rest of the state and beyond through Mehsana Junction railway station.

By Road

Vadnagar is well connected with major cities and places in Gujarat by good roads. It takes three hours to reach Vadnagar from Ahmedabad by bus.

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