Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t12: Kushinagar
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t12
- Language
- English
Kushinagar
v1.c7.s2.t12.1
Among the four holiest pilgrimage sites highlighting landmark events of Buddha’s life, Kushinagar is linked with his last sermon and Mahaparinirvana (complete extinction/ passing away). Located in the eastern part of India's Uttar Pradesh province and bordering Nepal, it is about 52 km from Gorakhpur. Presently a small town, it finds earliest references in Ramayana as the city of King Kushha, the son of Ayodhya’s legendary king, Lord Rama. During Buddha’s time, Kushinagar and Pava were two important places located on the link trade-route passing through the Republic of Mallas and connected with ancient highways. In Jatakas, this city is known as Kushavati and elsewhere is also called Kushinara and Kasia.
v1.c7.s2.t12.2
*Asokan Stone Pillar at Vaiśali*
v1.c7.s2.t12.3
Maha Nirvana Stupa and Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kuśinagar, India
v1.c7.s2.t12.4
According to Buddhist texts, the Republic of Malla was divided into two parts with one governed by the Kusinerika Malla having its capital in Kushinagar, and the other by Paveyakka Malla with capital in Pava. River Kakutha was the boundary line separating these two kingdoms. Gautam Buddha loved his Malla admirers and the region. During the course of his wanderings, he visited this area several times. At the age of 80, when he decided to take his last voyage from Rajgrha to Kushinagar, his disciple, Anand, resisted saying that this was a small uncivilised rural town. Buddha, however, reminded Anand that this was, in fact, Kushavati, a well-known, highly civilised and prosperous capital of King Mahasuddassana and preached to him about *Mahasuddassana Sutta*. It is said that Buddha mostly stayed in Baliharan in Kushinagar. But during his final visit, he chose Upvattan forest area covered with sal trees as his last stop. Out of his three discourses for the Bhikku, known as *Kusinara Sutta*, two were delivered at Baliharan and the last one was at Upvattan. Having falling ill after having taken the meal served with *sukaramaddava* at the house of his disciple, Cunda, in Pava, just before his death, he invited the Bhikkus to satisfy their queries if any. They all, however, remained silent. He then finally left his body lying under two huge sal trees.
v1.c7.s2.t12.5
Buddha’s body was laid in state for seven days at a coronation hall/ Chaitya of the Mallas and offerings were made to him. The last rites, it is said, were performed by Mahakashyap of the Mallas at Mukut Bandhana, Ramabhar (in Kushinagar) on the banks of Hiranyavati River. There were scrambles among the kings to collect his ashes. Finally, a Brahmana Drona intervened and divided his ashes into eight equal parts and distributed it to representatives of eight kingdoms for preserving as relics. The Mallas erected a big *stupa* over his ashes at the cremation place. Later, Emperor Ashoka renovated and expanded the *stupa*. According to legends, he further divided Buddha’s ashes and built more than 84,000 *stupas* over the relics.
v1.c7.s2.t12.6
Both Faxian and Xuanzang refer to their visit to Kushinagar and describe various legends associated with Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha. Faxian found in existence various *stupas* and *viharas* though he writes that, “In the city, the inhabitants are few and far between comprising only the families belonging to the (different) societies of monks.” By the time of Xuanzang’s visit, Kushinagar had, however, become a lonely and desolate place with many of its grand structures in ruins. Based on their description in the Chinese travelogues, these sites were rediscovered during the British colonial period due to efforts of explorers and archeologists like E. Buchanan, H H Wilson, A C Cunningham, A C L Carlleyle and others. After identification of the site by Cunningham, Carlleyle in 1876 was successful in locating the famous temple containing the large Buddha statue in lying/ nirvana state that was referred to by Xuanzang. After this discovery, Kushinagar began to regain its fame as one of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Many sites connected with the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha have now been found and excavated by archaeologists.
v1.c7.s2.t12.7
Modern Kushinagar consists of many Buddhist temples and *viharas* of different Buddhist sects from regions of China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand etc that surround the restored ancient sites like Nirvana *Stupa*, Mahaparinirvana Temple, Mathakuar Temple and Ramabhar Stupa. The Archaeological Museum is noteworthy for its valuable collection of different remains dating back to the 3rd century BCE. It may be noted that the city was found to have an association with Parinirvana/ passing way of Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankar of the Jainas in the nearby Pawa (present-day Fazil Nagar) which was the second capital of Mallas.
v1.c7.s2.t12.8
*(Kamal Sheel)*