Bodh Gaya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya

Mahabodhi tree and Bodh Gaya railing

Bodh Gaya (बोधगया) (Bodhgaya) is an ancient religious place in Gaya district in Bihar. Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment.

Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. On 27 June 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Variants of name

• Bodhimanda (ground around the Bodhi-tree),
• Bodhgaya
• Mahabodhi
• Sambodhi
• Ti-lo-shi-kia or Ti-lo-tse-kia (by Xuanzang)
• Uruvela
• Vajrasana
• Dharmaranya (धर्मारण्य) (AS, p.465)
• Buddhagaya (बुद्धगया) = Bodhigaya (बोधिगया) (AS, p.640)
• Bodh Gaya(बोधगया) = Bodhi Gaya (बोधिगया) (AS, p.647)
• Bodhigaya बोधिगया , बिहार, (AS, p.648)
• Bodhimanda बोधिमंड (AS, p.648)
• Vajrasana वज्रासन (AS, p.829)

Various names of Bodh Gaya in the past have been mentioned by S. Dhammika.

The name Bodh Gaya did not come into use until the 18th century. The main monastery of Bodhgaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple.

Location

Located 12 kms from Gaya town in south-west direction.

History

Falguni River (Niranjana of Ramayana)

Brahmyoni Gaya

According to Buddhist traditions, circa 500 BC Prince Gautama Siddhartha, wandering as an ascetic, reached the sylvan banks of Falgu River, near the city of Gaya. There he sat in meditation under a bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). After three days and three nights of meditation, Siddharta attained enlightenment and insight, and the answers that he had sought. He then spent seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. After seven weeks, he travelled to Sarnath, where he began teaching Buddhism.

Disciples of Gautama Siddhartha began to visit the place where he had gained enlightenment during the full moon in the month of Vaisakh (April-May), as per the Hindu calendar. Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree.

The history of Bodh Gaya is documented by many inscriptions and pilgrimage accounts. Foremost among these are the accounts of the Chinese pilgrims Faxian in the 5th century and Xuanzang in the 7th century. The area was at the heart of a Buddhist civilization for centuries, until it was conquered by Turkish armies in the 13th century.

In Mahavansha

Mahavansa/Chapter 29 (The Obtaining of the Wherewithal to build the Great Thupa) tells that ....WHEN the wherewithal to build was thus brought together he began the work of the Great Thupa on the full-moon day of the month Vesakha, when the Visakha-constellation had appeared.....When the king, glad at heart, had thus had preparation made upon the spot where the Great Thüpa was to be built, he arranged, on the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month Asalha, an assembly of the brotherhood of the bhikkhus.....

Mahavansa/Chapter 29 tells.... From various (foreign) countries also did many bhikkhus come hither; what need to speak of the coming of the brotherhood living here upon the island?

• With eighty thousand bhikkhus from the region of Rajagaha came the thera Indagutta, the head of a great school.
• From Isipatana came the great thera Dhammasena with twelve thousand bhikkhus to the place of the cetiya.
• With sixty thousand bhikkhus came hither the great thera Piyadassi from the Jetarama-vihara.
• From the Mahavana (monastery) in Vesali came the thera Urubuddharakkhita with eighteen thousand bhikkhus.
• From the Ghositarama in Kosambi came the thera Urudbammarakkhita with thirty `thousand bhikkhus.
• From the Dakkhinagiri in Ujjeni came the thera Urusamgharakkhita with forty thousand ascetics.
• With a hundred and sixty thousand bhikkhus came the thera named Mittinna from the Asokarama in Pupphapura.
• From the Kasmira country came the thera Utinna bringing with him two hundred and eighty thousand bhikkhus.
• The wise Mahadeva came from Pallavabhogga with four hundred and sixty thousand bhikkhus, and
• From Alasanda the city of the Yonas came the thera Yonamahadhammarakkhita with thirty thousand bhikkhus.
• From his dwelling by the road through the Vinjha forest mountains, came the thera Uttara with sixty thousand bhikkhus.
• The great thera Cittagutta came hither from the Bodhimanda-vihara with thirty thousand bhikkhus.
• The great thera Candagutta came hither from the Vanavasa country with eighty thousand ascetics.
• The great thera Suriyagutta came from the great Kelasa-vihara with ninety-six thousand bhikkhus.

वज्रासन

वज्रासन (AS, p.829): वज्रासन बोधगया, बिहार में स्थित एक ऐतिहासिक स्थान है। मूलतः बोधगया में अश्वत्थ वृक्ष के नीचे यह उस स्थान का नाम है, जहाँ आसीन होकर गौतम बुद्ध को संबुद्धि प्राप्त हुई थी। समय व्यतीत होने के साथ ही साथ कालांतर में बोधगया को ही 'वज्रासन' कहा जाने लगा। 'वज्रासन' नाम महात्मा बुद्ध के ज्ञान प्राप्त करने के लिये गए वज्र संकल्प का प्रतीक है।

बोधिगया (बिहार)

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...बोधिगया, बिहार, (AS, p.648): गौतम बुद्ध ने इसी स्थान पर 'समाधि' प्राप्त की थी (दे. गया). इस स्थान से कई महत्वपूर्ण अभिलेख मिले हैं जिनसे यह अभिज्ञान प्रमाणित होता है. 269 गुप्तसंवत (588-589 ई.) के एक अभिलेख में संभवत: सिंहल देश के बौद्ध नरेश महानामन् (जो पाली महावंश का कर्ता था) द्वारा बोधिमंड (बोधिद्रुम के नीचे बुद्धासन या किसी बिहार का नाम) के निकट एक बुद्धगृह के निर्माण किए जाने का उल्लेख . महवंश के संपादक टर्नर का मत है कि अभिलेख का महानामन्, सिंहलनरेश नहीं हो सकता क्योंकि राजा महानामन् ने 459-477 ई. के लगभग (अपने भगिनी सुत धातुसेन के शासनकाल में) महावंश का संकलन किया था और यह तिथि गया के उपर्युक्त अभिलेख से मेल नहीं खाती. इसी स्थविर महानामन् का एक दूसरा मूर्तिलेख भी बोधिगया से ही प्राप्त हुआ है. इसमें इस मूर्ति के दान में दिए जाने का उल्लेख है. बौद्ध संघ के नियमों के अनुसार कोई व्यक्ति 30 वर्ष की आयु से पूर्व स्थविर नहीं बन सकता था.

बोधिमंड

बोधिमंड (AS, p.648): महावंश 29,41 में वर्णित बोधिगया के निकट एक बिहार. यहां से 30 सहस्त्र भिक्षुओं को साथ लेकर स्थविर चित्रगुप्त सिंघलदेश गए थे. बोधीमंड का उल्लेख महानामन् स्थविर के बोधिगया अभिलेख में भी है. (देखें बोधिगया)

गया

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...गया (AS, p.279): यह है गौतम बुद्ध के संबोधि-स्थल तथा हिंदुओं के प्राचीन तीर्थ के रूप में सदा से प्रसिद्ध रहा है. महाभारत वन पर्व 84,82 में गया का तीर्थ रूप में वर्णन है--'ततो गयां समासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहित:। अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्'।

वन पर्व 95,9 में पांडवों की तीर्थ यात्रा के प्रसंग में भी गया का उल्लेख है-- 'ततो महीधरं जग्मुर्धर्मज्ञेनाभिसत्कृतम्। राजर्षिणा पुण्यकृता गयेनानुपमद्युते। इससे यह भी सूचित होता है कि राजर्षि गय के नाम पर ही गया का नामकरण हुआ था. गयशिर की पहाड़ी का उल्लेख इससे अगले श्लोक में है जो विष्णुपद पर्वत है. पुराणों की एक कथा के अनुसार गया, गयासुर नामक राक्षस का निवास स्थान था. विष्णु ने इसे यहां से निकाल दिया था (देखें बिहार थ्रू दि एजेज़, पृ. 114).

संभव है इस क्षेत्र में अनार्य लोगों का निवास रहा हो (देखें वही पृ. 114). बुद्ध के समय यह स्थान नगर के रूप में विख्यात नहीं था. तब उरुवेला नामक ग्राम यहां स्थित था जिस के निकट बुद्ध ने पीपल वृक्ष के नीचे समाधिस्थ होकर संबुद्धि प्राप्त की थी. उरुवेल में ही वहां के ग्रामणी की पत्नी सुजाता (या नंदबाला) की दी हुई पायस खाकर बुद्ध ने अपना कई दिनों का उपवास भंग किया था और वे इस परिणाम पर पहुंचे थे कि काया को उपवास आदि से क्लेस देकर मानुष्य सर्वोच्च सिद्धि नहीं प्राप्त कर सकता.

अश्वघोष (प्रथम या द्वितीय शती ई.)ने बुद्ध-चरित में गया का उल्लेख किया है जिससे सूचित होता है कि कवि के समय में गया को राजर्षि गय की नगरी माना जाता था-- 'ततो हित्वाश्रमं तस्य, श्रेयोअर्थी कृत्यनिश्चय: भेजे गयस्य राजर्षेर्नगरी संज्ञमाश्रमम्' सर्ग 12,89. बुद्ध के पश्चात गया का नाम संबोधि भी पड़ गया था जैसा कि अशोक के एक अभिलेख से सूचित होता है. मौर्य सम्राट अशोक ने इस स्थान की पावन-यात्रा अपने शासनकाल के दसवें वर्ष में की थी. चीनी यात्री फाह्यान चौथी सदी ई. तथा युवानच्वांग सातवीं सदी में गया आए थे. इन यात्रियों ने इस स्थान पर अशोक के बनवाए हुए विशाल मंदिर का उल्लेख किया है. जनरल

[p.280]: कनिंघम तथा परवर्ती पुरातत्वविदों ने गया में विस्तृत उत्खनन किया था. इस खुदाई में अशोक के मंदिर के चिन्ह नहीं मिल सके. कहा जाता है कि यह मंदिर सातवीं शती तक स्थित था. वर्तमान मंदिर बाद का है यद्यपि उसका आस्थान अवश्य ही प्राचीन है. यह मंदिर नौ तालों स्तूपाकार बना हुआ है. इसकी ऊंचाई 160 और चौड़ाई 60 फुट है. फर्गुशन का विचार है कि नौतला मंदिर बनवाने की प्रथा, जो चीन या अन्य बौद्ध धर्म से प्रभावित देशों में प्रचलित थी, वह मूल रूप से इसी मंदिर की परंपरा की अनुकृति थी (देखें हिस्ट्री आफ इंडियन एण्ड ईस्टर्न र्किटेक्चर, जिल्द,79).

बिहार पर जब मुसलमानों का आक्रमण हुआ अवश्य ही गया के मंदिर का भी विध्वंस किया गया होगा. इससे पूर्व ही हिंदू धर्म के पुनरुत्थान के समय बौद्ध मंदिर का महत्व समाप्तप्राय: हो चला था और हिंदू मंदिर ने उसका स्थान ले लिया था. महाभारत में वर्णित है कि संभवत: छठी शती ई. में सिंहल नरेश महानामन् ने गया के बुद्ध मंदिर का जीर्णोद्धार करवाया था. विष्णु पुराण में गया को गुप्त नरेशों के राज्य के अंतर्गत बताया गया है-- 'अनुगंगां प्रयागं गयायाश्च मागधा: गुप्ताश्च भोक्ष्यंति' 4,24,63.

कहा जाता है कि मूल बोधिद्रुम अथवा पीपलवृक्ष को गौड़ नरेश शशांक ने, जो महाराज हर्ष का समकालीन था (सातवीं शती ई.), अधिकांश में विनष्ट कर दिया था किंतु यह भी संभव है कि वर्तमान वृक्ष मूलवृक्ष का ही वंशज हो. इसी वृक्ष की एक शाखा अशोक की पुत्री संघमित्रा ने सिंहलदेश में ले जाकर अनुराधापुर में लगाई थी. यह वृक्ष वहां अभी तक स्थित बताया जाता है. इसी सिंहलदेशीय वृक्ष की एक शाखा वर्तमान सारनाथ के जीर्णोद्धार के समय कुछ वर्षों पूर्व वहां विरोपित की गई थी. यह भी मनोरंजक तथ्य है कि महाभारत वन पर्व है 84,83 में गया में अक्षयवट का उल्लेख है और उसे पितरों के लिए किए गए सभी पुण्य कर्मों को अक्षय करने वाला वृक्ष बताया गया है-- 'तत्राक्षयवटो नाम त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुत: तत्र दत्तं पितृभ्यस्तु भवत्यक्षयमुच्यते ' तथा 'महानदी तत्रैव तथा गय शिरॊ नृप, यत्रासौ कीर्त्यते विप्रैर अक्षय्यकरणॊ वटः वन पर्व 87,11. अवश्य ही यह अक्षयवट (वट = बरगद या पीपल) बौद्धों का संबोधि वृक्ष ही है जिसे हिंदू धर्म के पुनर्जागरण काल में हिंदुओं ने अपनाकर अपनी पौराणिक परंपरा में सम्मिलित कर लिया था. गया आजकल भी हिंदुओं का पवित्र स्थल है तथा यहां हुए पिंडदान का महत्व माना जाता है.

फल्गु गया की प्रसिद्ध पुण्य नदी है जिसका निर्देश महाभारत वन पर्व 95,9 में गयशिर की पहाड़ी के निकट बहने वाली 'महानदी' के रूप में है (देखें गयशिर) बौद्ध साहित्य में [p.281]: फल्गु की सहायक नदी वर्तमान नीलांजना को नैरंजना कहा गया है-- 'स्नातो नैरांजनातीरादुत्ततार शनै: कृश:' (बुद्धचरित 12,108) अर्थात गौतम (बोधिद्रुम के नीचे समाधिस्थ होने के पहले) नैरंजना नदी में स्नान करके धीरे धीरे तट से चढ़कर ऊपर आए. यह गया से दक्षिण 3 मील दूर महाना अथवा फल्गु में मिलती है. वर्तमान महाना अवश्य ही महाभारत की महानदी है जिसका ऊपर उद्धतुत श्लोक वन. 87, 11 में उल्लेख है.

बोधगया परिचय

बोधगया भारत के बिहार राज्य में गया से 12 किमी दूरी पर स्थित एक बौद्ध धार्मिक स्थल है। बोधगया में बोधवृक्ष (पीपल वृक्ष) के नीचे 'सिद्धार्थ' ज्ञान प्राप्त कर गौतम बुद्ध कहलाए थे। यहाँ के दशर्नीय स्थलों में महाबोध मन्दिर, पीपल वृक्ष, अनिमेषलोचन चैत्य, चंक्रमण, रत्नाकार, मुचलिन्द सरोवर, तिब्बती मन्दिर, चीन का मन्दिर, जापानी मन्दिर, थाई मन्दिर, भूटान का मन्दिर, पुरातात्विक संग्रहालय दशर्नीय है। सम्भवतः इस स्तूप की नींव अशोक द्वारा रखी गयी थी। यह स्तूप ग्रेनाइट या पत्थर के बने है। इसमें लगभग 30 जंगले हैं। बोघगया से 12 किमी पर ढोगेश्वरी गुफा है। जहां बुद्ध ने मनन-चिन्तन किया था। गया के समीप ही बांकेधाम से शिव की प्राचीन मूर्ति प्राप्त हुई है। परैया प्रखण्ड में देवकाली गांव पाल कालीन दीवारों और मूर्तियों के लिए चर्चित है। यहीं टिकारी का क़िला स्थापत्य कला का बेजोड़ नमूना है। इस प्रकार बिहार राज्य का गया ज़िला ऎतिहासिक दृष्टि से अत्यन्त महत्त्वपूर्ण है। बुद्ध युग से उद्रार गुप्त युग तक की ऎतिहासिक जानकारियां यहाँ से मिलती हैं। मौर्य शासक अशोक ने बोधगया की यात्रा की थी और वहां एक स्तूप निर्मित कराया था। गया में बराबर की पहाड़ियों में सात गुफाएं हैं, जिनमें तीन को अशोक ने आजीविकों को दान कर दिया था। श्रीलंका के शासक मेघवर्मन ने समुद्रगुप्त की अनुमति से बोधगया में एक बौद्ध-विहार बनवाया था। बराकर की पहाड़ी से प्राप्त एक अभिलेख में मौखरी शासक अनन्तवर्मन का वर्णन है। बोधगया के ताराडीह में पालकालीन अवशेष प्राप्त हैं। गया के समीप सोनपुर से कुषाणों के अवशेष मिले हैं। गया की यात्रा चीनी यात्रियों फ़ाह्यान तथा ह्वेनसांग ने की थी।

संदर्भ: भारतकोश-बोधगया

धर्मारण्य

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ... 2. धर्मारण्य (AS, p.465): बोधगया (बिहार) से 4 मील पर स्थित है बौद्ध ग्रंथों में इस क्षेत्र का, जो गौतम बुद्ध से संबंधित था, नाम धर्मारण्य कहा गया है.

Mahabodhi Temple

Mahabodhi Mahavihara

The Mahabodhi Mahavihara or more popularly known as the Bodhgaya temple or the great stupa, is one of the shrines out of the 84000 shrines rected by Ashoka the great in 3rd century BC. The Mahabodhi Temple and its precinct is the most important place of Bodh Gaya which contains the diamond throne (called the Vajrasana) and the holy Bodhi tree. In the temple complex one can see other seven places where the Buddha spent in meditation after the attainment of Enlightenment.

Buddha spent seven weeks in seven different places inside the temple complex. These are:

• 1.Vajrasana (The Diamond Throne),
• 2.Animesha Lochana Chaitya,
• 3. Chankramana,
• 4. Ratanaghara,
• 5. Ajapala Nigrodha tree,
• 6. Muchalinda lake,
• 7. Rajayatana tree

It is believed that 250 years after the Enlightenment of the Buddha, Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya. He is considered to be the founder of the original Mahabodhi temple. It consisted of an elongated spire crowned by a miniature stupa and a chhatravali on a platform. A double flight of steps led up to the platform and the upper sanctum. The mouldings on the spire contained Buddha images in niches. Ashoka is recorded to have performed special rites of veneration at the Mahabodhi tree in the company of his family and ministers.

It was king Ashoka who had shown such respect for this tree. King Ashoka inaugurated his construction work here. An inscription discovered at Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh reveals that Ashoka constructed Vajrasana, a boundary wall around it and the Mahabodhi tree and an elephant capital pillar latter called Gayagaja at Bodhgaya. King Ashoka constructed a stupa at this place after the design of Dhamneka stupa at Sarnath or Sanchi and it was 50 feet high.

The present Mahabodhi Mahavihara is estimated to have been built around the second century AD , as concluded by a scrutiny of finds here, which include a gold coin from times of Huviska, the Kushan ruler succeeding Kaniska. The Indo-Scythian and Gupta inscriptions discovered here also confirm that the temple was constructed or renovated during the Kushan period in Huviska's regime. The gold-plated statue of Buddha in touch-ground posture was installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in 380 AD.

The inscriptions found at Bodhgaya reveal that the King Meghaverma or Meghavarna of Shri Lanka constructed a three-minaret sangharama at the place during during Gupta regime in 388 AD. Wang-Hiuen-Tse also records that the above mentioned king sent a letter to king Samudragupta (335-76 AD) seeking permission to construct a Vihara where the monks and pilgrims from Shri Lanka could stay. Fa-Hein had visited this place in 409 AD. Hieuen-Tsang visited the place in 637 AD.

With the decline of Buddhism in India, the temple was abandoned and forgotten, buried under layers of soil and sand. The temple was later restored by Sir Alexander Cunningham as part of his work for the British Archaeological Society in the late 19th century. In 1883, Cunningham along with J. D. Beglar and Dr Rajendralal Mitra painstakingly excavated the site. Extensive renovation work was carried out to restore Bodh Gaya to its former glory.

The Bodhi tree

This is the most important of all places for a devout Buddhist. Here under this tree Buddha spent one week in meditation after he attained enlightenment. There Buddha sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree which is also called peepal tree (Ficus religiosa). After three days and three nights of meditation, Siddharta attained enlightenment and insight. The Jatakas reveal that the Bodhi tree is an object of veneration as the Buddha himself sanctioned it and is also regarded as the symbolic representation of Buddha. The present tree is probably the fifth succession of the original tree which was earlier destroyed several times by man-made misery and natural calamities. This tree was originally a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, itself grown from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree.

Buddhist temples at Bodh Gaya

In addition to Mahabodhi Mahavihara there are several Buddhist temples and monasteries at Bodh Gaya built by the people of Bhutan, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam in a wide area around the temple. These buildings reflect the architectural style, exterior and interior decoration of their respective countries.

• Sanghārāma - Kittisirimegha of Sri Lanka, a contemporary of Samudragupta, erected with the permission of Samudragupta, a Sanghārāma near the Mahābodhi-vihāra, chiefly for the use of the Singhalese monks who went to worship the Bodhi tree. The circumstances in connection with the Sanghārāma are given by Hiouen Thsang who gives a description of it as seen by himself. It was probably here that Buddhaghosa met the Elder Revata who persuaded him to come to Ceylon.

• Chinese Temple - The statue of Buddha in the Chinese Temple is 200 years old and was brought from China.
• Japan's Nippon Temple is shaped like a pagoda.
• The Myanmar (Burmese) Temple is also pagoda shaped and is reminiscent of Bagan.
• The Thai Temple has a typical sloping, curved roof covered with golden tiles. Inside, the temple holds a massive and spectacular bronze statue of Buddha.
• Next to the Thai temple there is a recent 25 meter statue of Buddha located within a garden which has existed there for over 100 years. For Tibetan Buddhism there are two temples.

Visit by Xuanzang in 637 AD

Alexander Cunningham writes that On leaving Pataliputra the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang started from the south-west corner of the city, and proceeded for 100 li, or 16-2/3 miles, to the south-west to the monastery of Ti-lo-shi-kia or Ti-lo-tse-kia, from whence he continued his route in the same direction for 90 li, or 15 miles, to a lofty mountain from the summit of which Buddha had contemplated the kingdom of Magadha. He then turned to the north-west for 30 li, or 5 miles, to visit a very large monastery on the slope of a hill, where Gunamati had worsted a heretic in argument. Then resuming his south-west route for 20 li, or 3-1/3 miles, he visited an isolated hill, and the monastery of Silabhadra, and continuing in the same direction for 40 or 50 li, 7 or 8 miles, he crossed the river Ni-lien-shen, or Nairanjan and entered the town of Kia-ye, or Gaya. Before attempting to identify any of the places

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[p.456]: noted in this route, I must remark that there are several errors both in the bearings and distances that require to be corrected. As the direction of Gaya is very nearly due south from Patna, the several south- west bearings should certainly be altered to south. The several distances also when added together amount to only 230 li, or 38 miles, while the actual distance between the cities of Patna and Gaya is 60 miles by the high-road, and must have been about 70 miles by the route followed by Hwen Thsang. The sum of his distances is, therefore, about 200 li, or 33 miles, short of the distance actually travelled. This amount I would divide into two even sums of 100 li, and add one to each of the first two distances recorded by the pilgrim.

By adopting this double correction of bearing and distance the position of the monastery of Ti-lo-tse-kia, or Tiladaka, will be fixed at 200 li, or 33 miles, to the south of the south-west corner of the city of Patna, or as nearly as possible on the site of the town of Tillara, on the eastern bank of the Phalgu river. That this was nearly the true position of Tiladaka is proved by a later mention of the same place by the pilgrim.

When leaving the Nalanda monastery on his return to China, he went direct to Tiladaka, which he places at 3 yojanas or 21 miles, to the west of Nalanda. Now the position of Nalanda, as I will hereafter show, was at the village of Baragaon, 6 miles to the north of Rajgir ; and from Baragaon to Tillara the distance is 17 miles in a direct line to the north of west, or about 20 miles by road.

The next place visited by Hwen Thsang, was the

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[p.457]: lofty mountain from which Buddha had contemplated the country of Magadha. Following my proposed corrections, this mountain should be looked for at 190 li, or 32 miles, to the south of Tiladaka or Tillara, and at 70 li to the north-east of Gaya. These bearings and distances fix the position of Buddha's Mountain in the lofty range of hills lying between Giryek and Gaya, somewhere about 3 miles to the north-west of Vazirganj, and about the same distance to the west of Amethi. This mention of hills is very fortunate, as it proves the necessity of applying the correction in distance to the first part of the route as the nearest hill is upwards of 50 miles from Patna.

From Buddha's Mountain the pilgrim proceeded 30 li, or 5 miles, to the north-west to the large monastery of Gunamati, which was situated on a slope in a pass of the mountains. The bearing and distance point to the low range of hills on the eastern bank of the Pewar Nadi, near Nidawat. From the Gunamati monastery Hwen Thsang travelled 20 li, or 3-1/3 miles, to the south-west to the Silabhadra monastery, which was situated on an isolated hill. This position may, I think, be identified with Bithawa, an isolated hill, which is also on the eastern bank of the Pewar Nadi, 3 miles to the south-west of Nidawat. The name of Bitha, which means an artificial mound, may perhaps refer to the ruined monastery of Silabhadra.

From this place the pilgrim proceeded for about 40 or 50 li, about 7 or 8 miles, to the south-west, and crossing the Nairanjan river, entered the town of Gaya. The river is now called Phalgu, opposite Gaya, and the name of Lilajan, or Nilajan, is restricted to the western branch, which joins the Mohani 5 miles

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[p.458]: above Gaya. The town was thinly peopled, but it contained about 1000 families of Brahmans. The city is still called Brahm-Gaya, to distinguish it from Bauddh-Gaya.

At 5 or 6 li, or 1 mile, to the south-west of the town stood the mountain of Gaya, which was known amongst the people of India as the divine mountain. This hill is now called Brahm-juin, or Brahmyoni, and a small temple now occupies the site of Asoka's stupa. To the south-east of the hill there were stupas of the three Kasyapas, and to the east of them, across a great river (the Phalgu), there was a mountain named Po.lo.ki.pu.ti, or Pragbodhi which Buddha ascended for the purpose of dwelling in silent solitude upon its summit. He had previously spent six years in silent abstraction, but having afterwards renounced his austerities, he accepted some rice and milk, and going towards the north-east, he saw this mountain, and ascended it for the purpose of resuming his austerities ; but he was disturbed by the tremblings caused by the fright of the god of the mountain, and descended on the south-west side, from whence he reached the famous Pippal-tree at Bauddha Gaya, at 15 li, or 2½ miles, to the south-west. The last distance and bearing show that the Pragbodhi mountain is the Mora Pahar of the present day, as its south-west end is exactly 2½ miles to the north-east of Bauddha Gaya. Midway in the descent there was a cave, in which Buddha rested, and sat with his legs crossed. Fa-Hian mentions this cave, which he places at half a yojana, or 3½ miles, to the north-east of the Bodhi-tree. It was therefore about one mile from the

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[p.459]: southern end of the mountain. I was informed that a cave still exists on the western face.

Hwen Thsang has omitted to mention the distance of this eastern mountain from that of Gaya, or Brahm-juin, which is about 4 miles, or 24 li. The account of the earlier pilgrim, Fa-Hian, is of no assistance in this place, as he makes the distance from Kia-ye, or Gaya, to the neighbourhood of the Bodhi-tree only 20 li, or 3-1/3 miles, the actual distance being upwards of 5 miles, or more than 30 li.

Bauddha-Gaya was famous for its possession of the holy Pippal-tree under which Sakya Sinha sat for five years in mental abstraction, until he obtained Buddha-hood. The celebrated Bodhi-drum, or " Tree of Wisdom," still exists, but it is very much decayed. Immediately to the east of the tree there is a massive brick temple, nearly 50 feet square at base, and 160 feet in height. This is beyond all doubt the Vihar that was seen by Hwen Thsang in the seventh century, as he places it to the east of the Bodhi-tree, and describes it as 20 paces square at base, and from 160 to 170 feet in height.

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