|
Barabar
Hills: |
Emperor
Ashoka although a sincere Buddhist was also liberal
towards other religions in his kingdom. For the
'ajivakas' ascetics he had caves cut on the stark
and rocky Barabar hills. The most interesting of
these is the one called Lomas Rishi Cave. It is
carved out of a huge rounded granite hummock. The
facade of this cave is an similar to the wood and
thatch kutis that ancient ascetics including Buddhist
monks used to live in. The interior of the cave
consists of a large rectangular chamber with a remarkable
glass-like polish. The whole thing looks like it
has been cut out of the rock by a giant laser.
The cave has also found a mention in a dramatic
incident in E.M. Foster's famous novel A Passage
To India. Located 20 kilometres north of Gaya just
off the Gaya - Patna road, the barabar hills also
house two other caves on the hill, Sudama and Chaupar
having polished interiors but plain exteriors.
|
|
Bodh Gaya:
|
|
Bodh Gaya is the place where Prince Siddhartha
became Buddha by attaining Enlightenment under
the Bodhi Tree. It is the centre of the Buddhist
universe, the Navel of the Earth. The Mahabodhi
temple with the Bodhi tree behind it are located
in the middle of the town. Buddha was here for
seven weeks. There are a number of gardens here
where you can sit or take a stroll through the
town. Pilgrims from Thailand
and Tibet, Bhutan and Burma, Singapore,
Sri
Lanka and a dozen other nations come over
here. There is a great tank just south of the
Temple where hundreds of pink water lilies are
in bloom. You can also take a look at the museum
and the scriptures and antiquities in there. Watching
the lamas doing their morning Puja is a blissful
site. The Niranjara river is a major attraction
for tourists with its wide and sandy river bank.
|
|
Lumbini (Nepal):
|
TOP |
| Prince Siddhartha
was born in a lovely garden called Lumbini. In the
Lumbini garden is the Asoka pillar with its inscription
mentioning that "here the Buddha was born",
there are ruins nearby undergoing restoration and
the modern temples. Although Lumbini is just a few
kilometres inside Nepal but getting there requires
the formalities of crossing an international border.
|
| |
|
| |
Sainath:
|
| |
Buddha gave
his first two discourses over here at the legendary
Sarnath located just 13 kilometres from Varanasi
also known as Isipathana. There is also a deer park
over here where Buddha first proclaimed the Dhamma
to the world. There are well maintained gardens
around the Sarnath ruins and is a wonderful place
to stroll around or meditate in. Asoka's pillar,
the ruins of the Mulagandhakuti and the huge Dharmek
Stupa are few of the well known places around here.
There is also a modern Mulagandhakuti Vihara towards
the east with its beautiful wall paintings and behind
it the Deer Park. The Sarnath Museum houses some
of the greatest treasures of Indian Buddhist art
and should not be missed. Asoka's lion capital and
the beautiful Teaching Buddha are amongst the most
beautiful sculptures ever made. |
| |
|
