Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.405

c8.405

Four beautiful Jain temples were built at the spot where Mahāvīra left his mortal existence. Here the Buddha ate his last meal at the house of Cunda the smith and was attacked with dysentery. The Mallas used to reside here. The nine Malla chiefs, to mark the passing away of the great Jina, were among those that instituted an illumination on the day of the new moon saying: ‘Since the light of intelligence is gone, let us make an illumination of material matter’.