Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t10.4

v1.c7.s2.t10.4

The hill existed as a famous Buddhist pilgrim place when Faxian (5th century) and Xuanzang (7th century) visited the place. Both devoted specific separate sections in their travelogue on their visit to the hill. In a moving description, Faxian writes about spending a night on the top of the hill. He describes going up to this beautifully green and the highest of the five surrounding hills with incense sticks, flowers, oil and lamp along with two long-timer resident monks for making his offerings. Looking at Buddha's footprints and abode, he was overfilled with emotion. He writes: “Here Buddha delivered the *Surangama* (a Mahayana Buddhist Sutra linked with Nalanda’s Buddhist school which literally meant "indestructible"). I, Faxian, was born when I could not meet with Buddha. And now, I only see the footprints which he has left, and the place where he lived and nothing more.” He became so melancholic that he spent the whole night there chanting *Surangama sutra* in a cavern there. He, however, found the large brick prayer hall where Buddha preached in ruins and identified the place where Buddha’s protection saved Ananda from evil designs of Mara and the cavern where Buddha and Arhatas meditated.