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.   

The glory of Champanagar

Champa or Champanagar in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar is a site of great significance for the Buddhists.

The place is deeply associated with the life of the Buddha. It was one of the six greatest cities during the time of the Buddha This can be gauged form Buddha’s disciple Ananda’s regret that his master should have died in either of the cities of Sravasti, Champa, Rajagraha, Saketa, Kausambi and Varanasi not in a small place like Kusinagar. 

In the times of the Buddha Champa served as the capital of the little kingdom of Anga which was annexed to the Magadhan empire by the 6th century BC Magadhan ruler Bimbisara. During those times Champa was a famous port city which was of substantial commercial significance. 

The Buddha paid several visits to Champanagar where he preached his several important discourses including Sonadanda Sutta and Kandaraka Sutta. Dasuttara sutta was delivered by his famous disciple Sariputta here in presence of the Buddha himslef.

Champanagar finds mention in the accounts of Chinese traveler Fa-hsien who came to India in the fifth century AD. According to him, the Buddhist monasteries in Champanagar were full of spiritual activities.

World’s First Living Heritage University

Founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921,Visva-Bharati University  in West Bengal's Shantiniketan town is all set to become the world's first "living heritage university". The university will soon get the ‘heritage’ tag from UNESCO to become the world’s first living heritage university.

Generally heritage tag is accorded to a dead monument. It is for the first time in the world that a living university which is functioning is going to receive the heritage tag from UNESCO.

Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel literature prize, was proponent of open-air education and introduced that system at the university, which is still continuing.

Sirpur, A Buddhist Destination Waiting to be Discovered

Laxman temple, Sirpur / Image Source

Located on the banks of the Mahanadi River in the state of Chhattisgarh, Sirpur is a Buddhist destination that is still waiting to be discovered. In ancient times Sirpur served as the capital of Dakshin Kosala and was a great centre of Buddhist learning between the 6th and 10th centuries. The Chinese monk and scholar Hieun Tsang is believed to have visited the place in the 7th century AD.

According to Hieun Tsang, Sirpur was a home to hundred Buddhist monasteries inhabited by over 10,000 monks from South east Asia professing Mahayana form of Buddhism. Discovery of conch bangles seems to suggest the presence of Buddhist nuns in the viharas. 

The excavations at the site have unearthed important Buddhist sites and artifacts including 10 Buddhist visharas and a metre-high monolithic statue of Buddha in the "Bhumisparsh mudra", dating back to the 6th century. Another big find is the Buddhist Stupa built by Ashoka. Tradition is that the Buddha himself had visited Sirpur. 

The 7th century AD Laxman Temple is one of the most renowned structures in Sirpur.  Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is one of the finest specimens of brick temples in India. 

 

 

Chaneti Stupa

                                                                Chaneti Stupa / Image Source

Three km north-west of the Buddhist site of Sugh in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana is located Chaneti which is home of one of the earlier and largest Buddhist stupas. This massive structure bears testimony to the greatness of the ancient Buddhist architecture.

A Stupa is a hemispherical dome and contains a small chamber in which the relics of the Buddha and his disciples were placed in a casket. The casket is often beautifully carved.

Chaneti stupa is one of those ones raised in the 3rd century BC by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in honour of the Buddha all over India. The stupa, in its final form, was completed during the reign of Kushana rulers who were devout Buddhists.

How to reach Chaneti 

Air: Nearest airport to Chaneti is at Chandigarh which is 83 km from Yamunanagar. Chandigarh airport is connected by flights with major cities in India.

Road: It takes 1 hour 30 minutes by road from Chandigarh to Yamunanagar which is 12 km from Chaneti. 

Rail: The nearest railway station to Chaneti is Jagadhri Railway Station at Yamunanagar. Lying on the popular Amritsar- Kolkata railway route Jagadhri Railway Station is well connected via rail with major cities and places in India you can board Golden Temple Mail from Hazrat NIzamuddin Railway Station in Delhi to reach Jagadhri Railway Station. 

Best Time to visit Chaneti 

Best Time to visit Chaneti is during the winter season when the daytime temperature is pleasant. 

Bucesvara Temple - Koravangala

                                             Bucesvara Temple - Koravangala / Image Credit

The Bucesvara temple (also spelt Buceswara, Bucheshwara or Bhucheshvara temple) is the main attraction of Koravangala, located 10 km from Hassan Railway Station in Karnataka. A fine specimen of the Hoysala architecture, this Shiva Temple was built in 12th Century A.D.

An inscription in the Buceswara temple states that the temple was built in 1173 AD to celebrate the coronation of Hoysala King Veera Ballala II (r. 1173–1220 CE).  

Monument Mitra Scheme to be revamped

Khajuraho

A revamped version of the Monument Mitra Scheme will be launched. Under the revamped scheme the Culture Ministry will go for partnerships with private firms for the upkeep of 1,000 ASI monuments.  The revamped scheme would be based on the Corporate Social Responsibilty (CSR) model. 

The Monument Mitra scheme entails adopting a heritage site and maintaining it.

The government is set to sign MoUs with partners for 500 sites under the revamped Monument Mitra scheme by August 15 when the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav ends.

Launched a few years ago under the Ministry of Tourism, the Monument Mitra scheme entails adopting a site for upkeep and other related activities.

 A few months ago the Monument Mitra scheme was transferred from the Ministry of Tourism and has now come under the ambit of the Ministry of Culture. The Culture Ministry would be projecting India as a “cultural superpower” during the year-long presidency of the G20.

The scheme will be based on corporate social responsibility (CSR).