Sanskisa: Staircase To Heaven

Sankassiya (Sankisa Basantpur in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad district) is the place where Gautam Buddha had descended from the Sineru mountain to earth after preaching his mother Mayadevi and other divinities in the Trayastrimsa (Heaven).

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed a ceremony in celebration of International Abhidhamma Divas (IAD) and recognition of Pali as a classical language.

Abhidhamma Divas (IAD) commemorates the descent of Lord Buddha from the celestial realm of the thirty-three divinities (Tāvatiṃsa-devaloka) to Sankassiya, one of the ‘Eight Great Places’ (Ashtamahasthan) of the Buddhist pilgrimage.

Sankassiya or Sankissa occupies a place of prominence in the history of Buddhism and is associated with several legends and myths related to the Buddha. Tradition has it that after preaching Abhidhamma to his mother Mayadevi and other divinities in the Trayastrimsa (Heaven) the Buddha descended from the Sineru mountain to earth at Sankisa.

Sankisaa finds mention in the travelogues of Fa-hsien and Hiuen Tsang who had visited the place in the fifth and seventh centuries AD respectively. Sanskisa was known to Huen Tsang as Kapittha.

Sanskisa's main attraction is the Buddha Temple located on the exact spot where the Buddha returned to the earth after his descent from the Trayastrimsa (Heaven). Enshrined in the Buddha temple is an image of the Buddha. Maya Devi Temple sculpted with mythological scenes from Buddhism is another attraction.

A trip to Sanskisa is incomplete without having a glimpse of the ruins of Ashokan Pillar. What sets this Ashokan pillar from others is the presence of elephants on the top of the pillar in place of lions which are placed with other Ashokan pillars.

Abhidhamma Pitaka: Third Section of the Pali Canon

The Abhidhamma Pitaka is the last of three Pitakas that constitute to Pali Canon, one of the most popular scriptures of Theravada Buddhism.

Abhidhamma And Pali

Popular in ancient India, Pali was recently accorded Classical Language status by the Indian government. Pali is still the religious language of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and South-east Asia.

The story of the Abhidhamma and its profound teachings is deeply intertwined with the ancient Pali language, a sacred medium that has preserved the essence of Buddhist wisdom for centuries.

Pali highlights its literary significance within Buddhism and Jainism. It is believed that this ancient language, shaped from various dialects, served as the vehicle for delivering Lord Buddha's teachings around 500 B.C., ensuring that his insights could resonate through time.

The entire body of Buddhist canonical literature is written in Pali, with the Tipitaka or "Threefold Basket" being its most notable collection. This includes the Vinaya Pitaka (rules of the order), which outlines ethical monastic rules, the Sutta Pitaka, a rich compilation of the Buddha's sermons on matters of doctrines and ethics, and the Abhidhamma Pitaka, which delves into metaphysics, psychology, and the intricate analysis of mind and reality.

A rich commentarial tradition has developed around these texts, with works such as the Aṭṭhasālinī and Sammohavinodanī being crucial for understanding the nuanced teachings of the Abhidhamma, all composed in Pali.

Muhammad Shah Rangila

Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal emperor, died in 1707. Muhammad Shah became Mughal emperor in 1719. During the interregnum, Bahadur Shah I , JahandarShah , Farrukhsiyar r, Rafi-ud-Darajat and Rafi-ud-Daula ascended the Mughal throne. Jahandar Shah was murdered on the orders of Farrukhsiyar who had the support of the two powerful Mughal nobles Sayyid Abdullah and his brother Sayyid Husain Ali at that time. They are famous in history as Sayyid brothers, the King-makers. In 1719, Farrukhsiyar were murdered in utter disregard of a Mughal emperor by Sayyid brothers. Rafi-ud-Darajat died of consumption in a few months. Rafi-ud-Daula was addicted to opium and died in 4 months. Sayyid brothers now chose Raushan Akhtar, a son of Jahan Shah (the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I), to be the emperor. Raushan Akhtar ascended the throne under the title of Muhamamd Shah in September 1719. In the beginning Muhammad Shah was a puppet in the hands of Sayyid brothers who soon began to lose their...

Ghaseti Begum: The Begum of Motijheel

Clive meeting Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, (By Francis Hayman) Ghaseti Begum, originally named Mehar un-Nisa, was the eldest daughter of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal. She was married to Nawazish Muhammad Khan. Ghaseti Begum went all out to conspire against her nephew Siraj-ud-Daula who was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. Siraj-ud-Daula was defeated by the British under Lord Clive in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and was killed on the orders of Miran, the son of Mir Jafar who was now made the Nawab of Bengal by the British. Ghaseti Begum was called the Begum of Motijheel due to her residence at the bend of this reservoir in Murshidabad. Motijheel or Pearl Lake is an oxbow lake in Murshidabad. The lake was created by her husband Nawazish Muhammad Khan. Nawazish Muhammad Khan died of grief when his adopted son Ekram-ud-Daulah succumbed to smallpox at a yo...

Turkan-i-Chahalgani, the Group of Forty

Amir-i-Chahalgani, known variously as Turkan-i-Chahalgani and Chalisa (The Forty), was a group of 40 faithful slaves which came into existence with the task of protecting Shamsuddin Iltutmish , the third Slave Sultan of Delhi Sultanate. The idea to form the group was taken by him when he came to realize that Turkish nobles cannot be trusted and could be a threat to his rule. With the passage of time the group went on to become very influential and powerful. Though Iltutmish succeeded in keeping the group under control, after his rule they became notorious and intrigued against nearly all his successors. The Forty acquired domination on the affairs of the state so much so that no ruler could defy them. Without their support it was utterly out of questions for the rulers to win the battle for succession. The members of this Turkish nobility used to appropriate all the offices of the state to themselves. Some of the rulers of the Slave dynasty after Iltutmish were murdered by these s...

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