Kushinagar – Bihar
Sanctity
When the Buddha had turned eighty, He predicated at Vaisali on Magha PurnimADay that ‘three months hence He would pass away.’ Soon the Lord accompanied by His beloved disciple, AnADa, left for Kushinara via Pava. When, on reaching sala grove of the Mallas of Kushinara, the Buddha saw that His end was coming near. He called AnADa AD sAD "Go now, AnADa, AD inform the Mallas of Kushinara, saying This day, in the last watch of the night, the final passing away of the Tathagata will take place."Not Knowing the reason why the Lord had chosen Kushinara as His last resting place, AnADa sAD "Let not the Blessed One die in this wattle AD daub town, in the midst of jungle. For Lord, there are great cities such as Champa, Rajagriha, Sravasti, Saketa Kosambi AD Varanasi. Let the Blessed One die in one of them." "Say not so, AnADa. Say not so, AnADa."
"Long ago, AnADa, there was a king by name Maha Sudarsana, a King of Kings, a righteous man who ruled in rightousness. This Kushinara, AnADa, was the royal city of King Maha Sudarsana, under the name of Kushavati." Then AnADa went to inform the mallas of Kushinara that the Blessed One had arrived there AD would pass away in the last watch of the noght. So informed, the Mallas came in large numbers to the Sal grove in the upavana to have the last darshan of the Buddha.
The last few hours were spent by the Buddha in useful counsels AD instructions to AnADa: "It may be AnADa, that you will say: ‘Gone is the word of the Master: we have no longer any Master now!’ But you must not so regAD it. AnADa; for the Norm AD Discipline taught by me, shall be your teachers when I am gone." Then sAD the Buddha to the monks: "Now O brethren, I do remind ye, ‘Subject to decay are all component things. Work for your salvation in earnest."
Thus preaching, passed away the greatest of the world’s religious teachers at the age of eighty on the Vaisakha PurnimADay in 544 BC, lying between the two large Sal trees.
The last rites of the Buddha were performed by the Mallas of Kushinara in a most dignified manner. For six days His body lay in state to enable his disciples to pay homage to the Master. On the seventh day, the Mallas carried the body of the Buddha in a procession to the Makuta-bADhana, where they used to hold their coronation ceremonies. There the Buddha was cremated with full honours under the guidance of AnADa AD Maha kasyapa, who had reached Kushinara by that time.
After the bone-relics had been collected by the Mallas, thery kept the same in their Council-Hall AD worshipped for seven days. Meanwhile, the news of Buddha’s death spread far AD wide, AD soon there were many claims for the share of the relics. The relics were ultimately divided into eight parts AD shared equally by the Mallas of Kushinara, Ajatasatru, the King of Magadha, the Licchavis of Vaisali, the Sakyas of Kapilavastu, the Bulies of Attakapa, Koliyas of Ramagrama, The Mallas of Pava, AD a resident of Vethadipa. The vessel containing the remains of the Blessed One was taken by the wise Drona who was instrumental in dividing the relics to the satisfaction of all.
History
In the course of his pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy shrines in about 250 BC, the pious Asoka visited Kushinara also AD erected stupas AD pillars ar the site. As Buddhism soread in India, Kushinagar developed into a great religious AD cultural centre AD attracted visitors from all over India AD abroad. The first Chinese Pilgrim, Fa-hian pAD his homage at the side of the Maha-parinirvana of the Buddha in about AD. 406. He says, "To the north of the city (Kushinagara) where, between two trees, on the bank of the (southern) Hiranya, the World Honoured One, with his head to the north, passed away; where Subhadra was converted in his last moments; where in his golden-coffin offerings were made for seven days to the World Honoured One; AD where eight kings divided the remains of Buddha’s cremated body at these places pagodas have been built, as well as monasteries all of which exist to this day."Hiuen-Tsang, who visited Kushinagar in about AD. 637, says. "To the north-west of city, 3li or 4li, crossing the Ajitavati (Hiranyavati) river, on the werstern bank, not far, we come to a grove of Sal trees. In this wood are four trees of an unusual height, which indicated the place where TathagatADied." "There is (here) a great brick Vihara, in which is a figure of the Nirvana of Tathagata. He is lying with his head to the north as if asleep. By the side of this Vihara is a stupa built by Asoka-raja; although in a ruinous state, yet it is some 200 feet in height. Before it is a stone pillat to record the Nirvana of Tathagara: although there is an inscription on, it, "To the north of the city, after crossing the river, AD going 300 paces or so, there is a stupa. This is the place where they burnt the body of Tathagata. The earth is now of a blackish yellow, from a mizture of earth AD charcoal. Who ever with true faith seeks here, AD prays, is sure to find some relics of Tathagata."
Among the other monuments seen by Hiuen-Tsang were a stupa built over the place where SubhadrADied, a stupa over the site of "Buddha’s cremation, where Maha-Kasyapa pAD his last homage to the Buddha, AD the fourth one erected by Asoka, with an inscribed pillar in front recording its construction at the place where the relics were divided. Hiuen-Tsang also saw half ADozen other minor Stupas.
Kushinara continued to be a living shrine till about the 12th century as is evident from the construction of a monastery AD a chapel attached to it enshrining a colossal statue of the BuddhADuring the regin of a local chief of the kalachuri dynasty. Thereafter it appears to have been deserted AD in due course it was completely lost into oblivion.
In modern times, the ruins in district Deoria of Uttar pradesh were first of all visited in 1811-1812 by Dr. Hamilton BChanan, an officer of the East India Company. He had, however, no idea of the identification of the ruins. In 1854, H.H. Wilson casually alluded to the identity of Kasia, a near by village with ancient Kushinara. But it was left to the far-sighted Cunningham, who visited the site in 1861-1862, to identify the Kasia ruins with the site of Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana. Subsequently, in 1876, A.C.L. Carlleyle, Cunningham’s assistant, carried out extensive excavations at the site AD completely exposed the Main Stupa AD discovered right at its front, the famous Nirvana statue of the Buddha buried in the debris of the ruins of an oblong shrine.
Carlleyle also discovered in 1876 a statue of the Buddha, broken into two pieces, at the shrine locally called Matha uar. He repaired AD restored the statue to its original position. Carlleyle also exposed the shrine to which the statue belonged.
When in 1910, the Main Stupa was further examined at ADepth of nearly 4.27 m, there it was discovered a small circular brick chamber, containing a copper vessel. On the mouth of this vessel was placed a copper-plate with a reversed ciwrie on it. The inscription on the copper-plate contained the text of the Nidana-sutra in Sanskrit AD concluded with the statement that the plate had been deposited in the nirvana-chaitya (i.e., this self same stupa) by one Haribala who had also installed the great Nirvana statue in the temple infront). The vessel was found to contain, among other minor objects, some silver coins of Kumaragupta, a Gupta emperor of AD. fifth century.
The excavations around the Main Stupa AD the Nirvana temple undertaken in the year 1904-1907 inder J.P.R. Vogel AD in the years 1910-1912 under HiranAD Shastri revealed a number of brick-structures which were raised by the devotees from time to time at Kushinara. These excavations yielded important datable finds AD inscriptional evidence which showed continous occupation of Kushinara upto AD. 12th century. These finds inter alia included a clay seal with the representation of the coffin of the Buddha in between two saltrees AD, the legend "mahaparinirvana’ AD ‘bhikshu-sangha’ in tow lines; two other seals with a similar legend AD a clay tablet with the figure of stADing Maitreya AD the well-known Buddhist formula. All the legends were in a script assignable to AD. 4th century.
The sacred site of Buddha’s Maha-parinirvanan, Kushinara or Kushinagar, as the place is now called is about 3 kms. South-West of the town of Kasia in district Deoria, U.P. Kushinagar can be more conveniently approached from Gorakhpur city from where it is 55 km by road.
The first Buddhist to make Kushinagar his permanent resort in modern times was Mahavir Swami. Mahavir was a nephew of Babu Kunwar Singh under whose leadership he took part in India’s first War of Independence in 1857. After the death of Babu Kunwar Singh in 1958 Mahavir went to Ceylon via Madras. While in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), he was attracted towADs Buddhism AD BCame a monk. In 1890 Ven. Mahavir returned to Kushinara, which was then in ruins, AD decided to stay there permanentlt. Mahavir Swami was responsible for restoring Kushinara to its rightful place a s a sacred shrine. He repaired the main temple AD constructed ADharmashala in 1901 for the convenience of the pilgrims. The cost of the Dharmashala was borne by ADevout Buddhist, khezari Babu of Arakan, Burma. A modern Buddha Vihara was constructed by Mahavir Swami at Kushinagar in 1902.
The task of making Kushinagar a living shrine initiated by mahavir Swami was successfully accomplished by Ven. ChADramani who was born in 1876 in Ajyab the district of Arakan, Burma. In 1891 he came to India for studies. Ven ChADramani, was ordained as a monk at Chittagong in 1903. Thereafter he came to kushinagar AD started living there. Soom he managed to get possession of the Nirvana temple AD made it a living shrine. In 1910 he constructed another Dharmashala for the pilgrims from India AD abroad. In 1924, was celebrated for the first time, Buddha Jayanti at Kushinagar AD it is a regular feature. He also established a Primary School (1926), a High School (1934) (Mahavir Vidyalaya) AD ADegree College (1944) (Buddha College) at Kushinagar. Ven. ChADramani passed away on 8 May 1972. The noble work initiated by him is now being continued by his disciple, Ven, Gyaneshwar, a Burmese monk.
