Sravasti, Lord Buddha spent 24 “Baisakh” of his life

At Sravasti, Lord Buddha spent 24 “Baisakh” of his life

Śrāvastī (Sanskrit: श्रावस्ती) or Sāvatthī, a city of ancient India, was one of the six largest cities in India during Gautama Buddha's lifetime. The city is located in the fertile Gangetic plains in the present-day district of the same name, Shravasti, that belongs to Devipatan Division of Uttar Pradesh near Balrampur, some 170 kilometres (106 mi) north-east of Lucknow. Earlier, it was a part of the Bahraich district, but the latter was split due to administrative reasons. Jetavana monastery was a famous monastery close to Savatthi.

The ancient city of Sravasti, which is now represented by a series of mounds and covers an extensive area, known as Sahet-Mahet together with ancient sites- Orajhar, Panahiajhar and Kharahuwanjhar, is located in the newly created district of Sravasti, while a portion of it falls in the district of Balrampur, U.P. It is one of the main sites of Buddhist Pilgrimage as well as Jain Pilgrimage. Sahet is located in the very heart of Sravasti while Mahet is located 1 km North-East of Sahet. The earliest references of the city are available in Ramayana & Mahabharata as a prosperous city in the Kingdom of Kosala. It was the capital of North Kosala as mentioned in Puranas. The city is also mentioned in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi and in Pali Literature. The Town was founded by Sravasta, a king of Solar dynasty. In later times, it was known as Chandrikapuri and Champakpuri. Anguttara Nikaya mentions Kosala as one of the 16 Mahajanpada’s. Sravasti was not only the capital of a powerful Kingdom but was also a home for Philosophical speculations, where a number of Schools of thoughts had already established themselves before the advent of Buddha.

In 6th Century B.C. during the reign of Prasenjit, the place became famous due to its association with Buddha and Mahavir. Age old Stupas, majestic monasteries and several Temples in Sahet-Mahet area highlight the association of Buddha with Sravasti. After attaining enlightenment Lord Buddha was constantly moving and spreading his message of humanity, Universal Brotherhood & Salvation among different segments of the society, Buddha is said to have spent 24 Rainy season (Monsoon) here, after his disciple Sudatta Anathpindika built a monastery for him at Jetvana. He delivered many Sermons here and it was here only where is he supposed to have astonished rival teachers by performing miracles. A dacoit named Angulimal was transformed to a monk by Buddha here only. The City also has the pride in being the place where Vinay Rule, Jatakas and Sutras were first discovered.

Sravasti is also believed to be the birthplace of two Jain Tirthankars- Sambhavnath and Chandra Prabha. Lord Sambhavnath is believed to have taken Diksha at Sahatuk forest (hence Sahet) in the vicinity of Sravasti and went through hard penance till he attained the light of true knowledge in the same forest.

King Ashoka is said to have visited the place and erected two pillars on the eastern gate of Jetvana and Stupa in the vicinity. The place was also mentioned by Fa-hein and Hiuen-Tsang in their travel accounts (5th century B.C. and 7th century B.C. respectively). The ruins of Sravasti were excavated by Sir Alexander Cunningham and Hoey in 1863. Cunningham’s discoveries included several small Stupas and Temples in Sahet. In 1876, he identified the Jetvana monastery (Sahet) and discovered 10 temples, 5 Stupas, Number of Clay Seals, Votive offerings and few fragments of sculpture but no inscriptions.

SRAVASTI

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Sravasti, capital of an ancient kingdom by the same name, is sacred to the Buddhists because it was here that Lord Buddha confounded his critics with a million fold manifestation of himself, seated on a thousand-petalled lotus, as fire and water emanated from his body. The nearest airport is in Lucknow (151 kms) and the railhead is in Balrampur (19 kms).

The capital of Kosala Mahajanapada in the ancient times, Sravasti is also known as Sahet-Mahet. During the annual vassavasa, the city hosted the Lord for 25 years ( during the rainy seasons). The presence of Lord Buddha in Sravasti led his Sangha advance to congregate into one place. Sravasti is also renowned for the magical feats showed by Lord Buddha, sitting on a lotus, and for the other many stories that are linked with Buddha. The most popular is the story of the woman who came to resurrect her dead son. There are many other stories, related to Sravasti, basically confirming the supremacy of Lord Buddha and proving him as a legend. Its not known whether these really happened or not but looking at the faith of the local people its hard to believe that these are mere stories and not the truth that happened here. The place also has a magical charm that enlivens tired tourists instantly.

Attractions :
The Ananda Bodhi tree : This tree, under which Lord Buddha Meditated for a night, is said to bless the devotees who meditate under it as it was specialized by Lord Buddha himself.

Jetavana : The Jetavana is said to once host Lord Buddha and his pilgrims, where One of his followers, a rich merchant, covered the whole ground of the park (vana) with gold coins. Lord Buddha used tehse coins to build a Vihara here. While there are stories that Jet Vana once housed a giant seven-storied-building, some others believe that the first statue of Lord Buddha was built here. Whatever the story, in reality, the place is a cool and peaceful alternative to forget any other care of life and this, makes one believe the facts that are running as folklore among the local community. There are, however, some sculptures built by The Ashoka which are nonetheless less attractive than other monuments built by him.

The ancient temple built by an old Chinese monk is also part of tourist attraction, due to the story attached to it.

Shobhanath temple : the Jain pilgrims revere this temple, believed to be the birthplace of a Jain saint, Sambhavnath.

Excursions
Devi Patan temple : This temple, believed to be a one of the foremost shaktipeeths, for the Hundu pilgrims is also one of the most pristine places on earth. It is situated at a distance of 28 Km from Shravasti.