|
PILGRIMAGES & SPIRITUALITY- BUDDHISM | | |
SANCHI
The complex at Sanchi has some of the oldest and finest examples of Buddhist architecture. The Jataka stories about Gautam Buddha's earlier incarnations, and episodes of the Buddha's life, form the main subject matter in the sculpted architraves of the Chaitya, Temples, Pillars and Monasteries. They present a fascinating array of complex images narrated in a linear fashion.
Sanchi was once situated on the major north-south trade route, the famous Dakshinapath, and this was one of the reasons why the kings and merchants continued to patronise it till well into the 6th century AD. The profusion of images at Sanchi seem to exude life at its fullest, reflecting the agrarian prosperity of the times (22nd century BC to 7th century AD) when Sanchi was at the height of its glory. |
|
What to See?
The Great Stupa
Emperor Ashoka built this famous stupa in the 32nd century BC. The massive stupa with its intricately carved Torans (gateways) is considered to be the most complete example of the early Buddhist stupa in its extant form. These gateways are a masterpiece of both architecture and sculpture of the then times.
Pali language, a literary source, speak of Emperor Ashoka's dedication to the original stupa, and his erecting a pillar with a lion capital here. The figure of a yakshi reaching out for a branch as shown in the corner of an architrave is one of the most captivating images of Sanchi.
Ashoka Pillar
Lies near the southern gateway of the stupa, and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Ashokan pillars.
Gupta Temple
This 5th century AD temple is one of the earliest known examples of temple architecture in India.
Sanchi Museum
This has a small collection of sculptures from the site (caskets, pottery, some parts of the gateways) of which the Ashoka lion capital, a yakshi and a beautiful Buddha in red sandstone are noteworthy. | DHARAMSHALA |  |
Upper Dharamshala or McLeodganj is in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh state of India. This hill station with its magnificent view of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas is the seat of His Holiness, the XIVth Dalai Lama and the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The town has a large Tibetan refugee settlement. The numerous monks in their flowing maroon robes, the many street side shops selling momos (dimsums) and butter tea and old Tibetan women in their traditional attire walking past serenely turning their prayer wheels, could make you feel as if being in Tibet. The bazaar has the shops selling the typical Tibetan exotic paraphernalia. The main road leads to the Dalai Lama's temple, Namgyal monastery. It houses giant stucco statues of Gautam Buddha, Avalokiteshwara and Padmasambhava, and the travelers can join the devout Buddhists in their ritual of circumambulating the temple and rotating the prayer wheels. |
A further twenty-minute trek leads to Gangchen Kyishong, where the offices of the Tibetan government-in-exile and the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives are located. Within the same complex is the beautiful monastery of the Nechung Oracle where one can witness daily services. At a stone's throw away is the Men-tsee-khang, the Centre for Tibetan Medicine. A 14 kms drive down is the Norbulingka Institute, famed for keeping the cultural life of Tibet alive till date. Ajanta and Ellora
Situated in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, Ajanta has acquired world renown for its famed paintings. The caves of Ajanta provided the canvas for innumerable paintings, not by Buddhist monks as is commonly believed, but by highly trained members of guilds of artists under monastic and royal patronage.
Ajanta paintings are the brilliant union between sacred and secular art. Beginning in the 2nd century BC, and continuing for 900 years, twenty-six caves were chipped out of a horseshoe shaped cliff. The paintings at Ajanta flow into one another, forming an endless kaleidoscope of colour and motion. Although the Jataka tales from the main theme of the paintings also depicted are scenes from contemporary courtly life. The large individual figures painted with an eye for colour and detail attract attention. The best paintings are in cave numbers 1, 2, 16, 17 and 19, and the best sculptures are in cave numbers 4, 17, 19 and 26.
A visit to Ajanta is incomplete without visiting the nearby caves at Ellora as well. Starting from the 7th century AD, Ellora carried on the great legacy of Ajanta and was subject to Buddhist and later Hindu and Jain influences. The sculptures at Ellora are massive in form though they continue to reflect the fluidity of the Ajanta sculptures. There are twelve Buddhist caves in all and the entire spectrum of carvings pulsates with life and energy. The famous rock-cut Hindu temple of Kailasanath is in Ellora.
Aurangabad provides a base for visiting the caves of Ajanta, 100 kms and Ellora 30 kms away. Indian Airlines connects Aurangabad with Mumbai and Delhi.
Leh Surrounded by the snow-covered Himalayas, even the summer months, between June and September, can be quite chilly in Leh, the remote headquarters of Ladakh district, situated at an altitude of 3500 metres.
BUDDHIST GOMPAS
The famous Buddhist gompas (monasteries) are perched perilously on the precipices with enchanting but forbidding mountains in the background.
Hemis, the largest of these gompas, founded in the 17th century, has as excellent library and is famous for housing the largest tangkha in India. Hemis is the most accessible of all the Ladakhi gompas and visitors flock here during the annual festival held in June-July.
Other gompas like Shey (15 kms from Leh), Spituk (8 kms from Leh), Thikse (17 kms south of Leh) are also easily accessible. However, their annual festivals are held during the winter months.
Stok Gompa and the Stok Palace Museum (10 kms south of Leh) are musts for visitors to Leh because of the rare collection of paintings and tangkhas. Alchi has one of the most beautiful monasteries in the Himalayan region and the 70 kms road journey from Leh is well worth the effort.
Rinchen Zangpo founded Alchi Gompa in the 11th century and it has some beautiful mural paintings dating from that period.
Inner Line Permit, available easily from the District Commissioner's office in Leh, is required by both foreign and Indian travellers as well, to visit the newly opened areas of the Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso.
Mahaparinirvana Sutra (The Book of the Great Decease), Chapter V
The four places mentioned by Gautam Buddha: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar, constitute the Dharma Yatra. These are described with reference to their past as well as to the present.
From the point of entry into India at one of the four metros, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, or Mumbai it is best for the visitor to travel to either Patna in Bihar or Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, before proceeding to the 4 sacred Buddhist sites.
They are both well connected by air and rail to all the metros and make ideal gateways for visiting the sacred sites. Patna and Varanasi, the ancient Indian towns of Pataliputra and Kashi were also thriving townships during Gautam Buddha's lifetime. Keeping this in mind, the next two chapters are on Patna and Varanasi.
Gateways to the Sacred Site
Patna
Varanasi
Lumbini
Kapilvastu
Bodh Gaya
Sarnath
Rajgir
Nalanda
Sravasti
Vaishali
Kushinagar
In one of his last utterances before his Mahaparinirvana, Gautam Buddha said to Anand, his favourite disciple and attendant: -
There are these four places, Anand, which the believing man should visit with feeling of reverence and awe.
Which are the four?
"The place, Anand at which the believing man can say, Here the Tathagata was born
The place, Anand, at which the believing man can say, Here the Tathagat attained to the supreme and perfect insight'
The place, Anand, at which the believing man can say, Here was the kingdom of righteousness set on foot by the Tathagat.
The place, Anand, at which the believing man can say, Here the Tathagat finally passed away in that utter passing away which leaves nothing whatever to remain behind."
| |
| Back To Tour >> |
 |
|
|
