Vaishali Vaishali was the capital of Vajjian confederacy,
reputed to be the first republic in the world, where the leaders were elected from the aristocratic
class. The confederacy consisted of eight groups who lived in harmony due to their strong practice of
Dhamma and their application of the Buddha’s seven guidelines for preventing decline in the government.
The people of Vaishali loved the Buddha and always extended him warm hospitality. The Buddha spent his
fifth and last rain retreats here, and he either was found to be meditating or teaching around the
city’s shrines, or spent time at Ambapali’s Mango Grove, or in the Great Forest (Mahavana).
LICCHVI STUPA
After the Buddha passed away in Kushinagar, his ashes were divided into eight portions and
distributed among eight regional kingdoms
(the Licchvis of Vaishali, Ajatsatru of Magadh, Sakya of Kapilvastu, Koliyas of Ramagram, Bulis
of Alakapa,
a Brahmin of Vethdweep, and Mallas of Pava and Kusinagar), where they were enshrined as eight
Mahastupas.
The stupa at Vaishali was built by the Licchavis to enshrine of their remains.
Some 300 years later, Asoka excavated the stupa and distributed them to all the stupas he had
built throughout his empire.
Functional Information:
In 1958, the Licchavistupa was opened by Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute (Patna) who
found a small soap stone casket containing burnt bone,
a copper coin, a shell, two glass beads and a small gold plate.
These treasures were taken to Patna Museum and can still be seen there.
All that a pilgrim can see at the LicchviStupa site is its foundation only.
MAHAVAN KUTHAGARASHALA
Kutagarashala represents the spot where the Buddha used to stay during the rainy season spent at
Vaishali. Here the Buddha gave numerous teachings and the site is famous for hosting the
legendary scene of the Buddha admitting women into the Sangha. Located in Kolhua village, the
site is also popular wherein a local monkey chief had offered a bowl of honey to the Buddha and
later also helped the Sangha to dig the water tank – Ramakund - that still exists. The event is
cited as one of the most significant events of his life.
Functional Information:
It is the also the location where the
Buddha announced his approaching mahaparinirvana.
ANANDA RELIC STUPA
The stupa commemorates the Buddha’s cousin and a committed attendant of 25 years standing. The
stpa was excavated in the late 1970s,
and small sheets of gold and semi precious stones were found along with the stone relic casket
containing Ananda’s mortal remains.
Functional Information:
Small sheets of gold and semi precious stones were found along with the stone relic casket
containing Ananda’s mortal remains.
ASOKAN PILLAR
AsokanPillar stands next to the Ananda Stupa and the local claim that it was erected by King
Asoka who got it from Chunargarh through a boat route of a river touching the spot then.
Functional Information:
The inscriptions attributed to Megasthenes, the ancient Greek envoy to Pataliputra – the capital
of
the Mauryan Empire; to King Ashoka, who ruled ancient India from his capital in Pataliputra to
Lord
Buddha and to Lord Mahavira.
LICCHVI STUPA
After the Buddha passed away in Kushinagar, his ashes were divided into eight portions and distributed among eight regional kingdoms (the Licchvis of Vaishali, Ajatsatru of Magadh, Sakya of Kapilvastu, Koliyas of Ramagram, Bulis of Alakapa, a Brahmin of Vethdweep, and Mallas of Pava and Kusinagar), where they were enshrined as eight Mahastupas. The stupa at Vaishali was built by the Licchavis to enshrine of their remains. Some 300 years later, Asoka excavated the stupa and distributed them to all the stupas he had built throughout his empire.
In 1958, the Licchavistupa was opened by Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute (Patna) who found a small soap stone casket containing burnt bone, a copper coin, a shell, two glass beads and a small gold plate. These treasures were taken to Patna Museum and can still be seen there. All that a pilgrim can see at the LicchviStupa site is its foundation only.
MAHAVAN KUTHAGARASHALA
Kutagarashala represents the spot where the Buddha used to stay during the rainy season spent at Vaishali. Here the Buddha gave numerous teachings and the site is famous for hosting the legendary scene of the Buddha admitting women into the Sangha. Located in Kolhua village, the site is also popular wherein a local monkey chief had offered a bowl of honey to the Buddha and later also helped the Sangha to dig the water tank – Ramakund - that still exists. The event is cited as one of the most significant events of his life.
It is the also the location where the Buddha announced his approaching mahaparinirvana.
ANANDA RELIC STUPA
The stupa commemorates the Buddha’s cousin and a committed attendant of 25 years standing. The stpa was excavated in the late 1970s, and small sheets of gold and semi precious stones were found along with the stone relic casket containing Ananda’s mortal remains.
Small sheets of gold and semi precious stones were found along with the stone relic casket containing Ananda’s mortal remains.
ASOKAN PILLAR
AsokanPillar stands next to the Ananda Stupa and the local claim that it was erected by King Asoka who got it from Chunargarh through a boat route of a river touching the spot then.
The inscriptions attributed to Megasthenes, the ancient Greek envoy to Pataliputra – the capital of the Mauryan Empire; to King Ashoka, who ruled ancient India from his capital in Pataliputra to Lord Buddha and to Lord Mahavira.