Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.479

c6.479

In the Divyāvadāna (pp. 389-94) we read that Aśoka visited this city where the Buddha attained Mahāparinirvāna. This account is corroborated by what Aśoka says in his lithic records (R.E. VIII). The Buddha had to cross the river Kakutthā while going from Kuśinārā to Rājagrha. This river is a small stream, known as the Barhi, which falls into the Chota-gandak, eight miles below Kāsiā. Near Kuśinārā the river Hiraññavatī (Hiranyavatī) or the little Gandak,¹ on the bank of which the Śāla-grove of the Mallas of Kuśinārā stood, flows to the district of Gorakhpur, about eight miles west of the great Gandak and falls into the Gogra (Sarayū).