Sarnath is the place where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon. It lay in ruins for a long time until Alexander Cunningham discovered it. Subsequently restoration work was carried out, notably by Anagarika Dharmapala, a Sri lankan Buddhist leader. This is the modern Mulgandha Kuti Vihara built in Sarnath, the ruins of the original are nearby.
Tags: peace nikon india d40 architecture alone mulgandhakuti vihara sarnath uttar pradesh varanasi buddhist buddha lord sri lanka mahabodhi hiuen tsang xuanzang
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The ruins of an ancient Buddhist stupa and monastery complex at Sanghol-Uchha Pind, Dist Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab. Most probably the Satadru of Hiuen Tsang.
Tags: sanghol Ucha Pind Buddhism punjab fatehgarh sahib monochrome stupa ruin
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The Dhamek stupa is a massive stupa in Sarnath, it towers above the surroundings. The Dhamek Stupa was built ca. 500 AD[1] to replace an earlier structure commissioned by the great Mauryan king Ashoka in 249 B.C.E., along with several other monuments, to commemorate his pilgrimage there. Stupas originated as circular mounds encircled by large stones. King Ashoka built stupas to enshrine small pieces of calcinated bone and other relics of Buddha and his disciples.[2] An Ashoka pillar with an edict engraved on it stands near the site.
The Dhamek Stupa is said to mark the spot of a deer park (Rishipattana) where the Buddha gave the first sermon to his five disciples after attaining enlightenment,[3][4] "revealing his Eightfold Path leading to nirvana".[5] The stupa was enlarged on six occasions but the upper part is still unfinished.[6] While visiting Sarnath in 640 AD, Xuanzang recorded that the colony had over 1,500 priests and the main stupa was nearly 300 feet (91 m) high.[7]
In its current shape, the stupa is a solid cylinder of bricks and stone reaching a height of 43.6 meters and having a diameter of 28 meters. It is the most massive structure in Sarnath.[8] The basement seems to have survived from Ashoka's structure: the stone facing is chiseled and displays delicate floral carvings of Gupta origin. The wall is covered with exquisitely carved figures of humans and birds, as well as inscriptions in the Brāhmī script.[9]
more about the Dhamke stupa at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhamekh_Stupa
Tags: peace nikon india d40 architecture alone buddha stupa dhamek sarnath varanasi uttar pradesh ashoka king
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Jetavana or by its modern name, Sahet is one of the most pious sites in Buddhism. I saw this lotus in a stagnant pool within the Jetavana, the lotus has a special importance in Buddhist iconography as it signifies the Buddha, maybe a message.
Jetavana was one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries in India. It was the second monastery donated to Buddha, after the Veluvana in Rajagaha. Jetavana is located just outside the old city of Savatthi. Jetavana was the place where Buddha gave many teachings and discourses, more than in any other place. Mainly, this is because Buddha spent 19 (out of 45) rainy-seasons (also pansah or vassa) at Jetavana, more than in any other monastery
Tags: jetavana sahet sravasti uttar pradesh india lotus stupa buddha buddhist pool religion peace shravasti
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The Chaukhandi Stupa is thought originally to have been built as a terraced temple during the Gupta period between the 4th to 6th Century to mark the site where Lord Buddha and his first disciples met traveling from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath. Later Govardhan, the son of a Raja, modified the stupa to its present shape by building the octagonal tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun, the powerful Mughal ruler
Tags: peace nikon india d40 architecture alone buddhism buddha stupa chaukhandi brick tower humayun sarnath varanasi uttar pradesh
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