SRAVASTI
LOCATION
Sravasti is situated in the north Indian state of Uttar
Pradesh around 176 km off Lucknow. It is a part of the Buddhist circuit
that encompasses the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Nepal. There are
good rail and road networks that connect this small place with the other
places in the region.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Sravasti, due to its location in the Gangatic plains and
proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, enjoys a comfortable winter but a
really hot summer. In the winters, the night temperature can go down to
around 10°C and the day temperature to 20°C. October-November and
February-March are almost always comfortable and sunny. Begining in April
and continuing through June, it is extremely dry and the daytime
temperature often reaches 45°C. In late June or early July, monsoon season
brings torential rains and high humidity.
HISTORY
During the time of Sakyamuni, a
rich and pious merchant named Sudatta lived in Sravasti. While on a visit
to Rajgir, he heard the Buddha's sermon and decided to become the Lord's
disciple. But he was caught in a dilemma and asked the Lord whether he
could become a follower without forsaking worldly life. To his query, the
Buddha replied that it was enough that he followed his vocation in a
righteous manner.
Sudatta invited the Buddha to Sravasti and began
to look for a suitable place to build a vihara. A beautiful park at the
southern edge of Sravasti attracted his attention. The park belonged to
Jeta, son of King Prasenjit of Sravasti. Jeta demanded that Sudatta cover
the entire park with gold coins. Sudatta painstakingly paved every inch of
the land with gold. Then Jeta said that since the trees were left
uncovered they belonged to him. But finally, he had a change of heart and
donated valuable wood to build the vihara. The park came to be known as
Jetavana Vihara in recognition of Prince Jeta's donation to the sangh.
Buddha spent 25 years living in the monastery of Jetavana. Many
Vinaya rules, Jatakas and Sutras were first discussed at this place. The
Buddha is supposed to have astonished rival teachers by performing
miracles at Sravasti. It is said that it was in Sravasti that the Buddha
transformed Angulimal from a dacoit into a Buddhist monk. He also
delivered many important sermons here. King Ashoka erected two pillars 21
meters high on either side of the eastern gateway of the Jetavana
monastery. Sravasti was a flourishing center of learning during the Gupta
period. When the famed Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited this site, he
found several damaged stupas and ruins of monasteries and a palace.
TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS
Sravasti
has two villages, Sahet and Mahet. From the Balrampur-Sravasti road one
can enter Sahet, which is spread over an area of 400 acres and has a
number of ruins. A little north of Sahet, towards the Rapti River, is the
ancient fortified city of Mahet. The entrance to the mud fortification of
Mahet is constructed in a beautiful crescent shape. Though an ancient
structure, its five gates and walls are still visible. Pakki Kuti, Kuchhi
Kuti and many other stupas tell the story of the great monasteries that
once stood here.
Remnants of Jetavana, a splendid monastery with
inscriptions dating back to the 12th century, is thought to be one of the
favourite sites of the Buddha. Emperor Ashoka is also said to have visited
this site. There is a sacred pipal tree here, which is a sapling from the
original Maha Bodhi tree under which the Buddha had attained nirvana.
Today, Jetavana has two monasteries, six temples and five stupas. One
temple was built by the monk Ananthapindika and called Gandhakuti. This is
the most sacred temple in Jetavana since the Buddha is believed to have
lived at this spot.
Sravasti was also under the influence of Lord
Mahavira the last Jain Tirthankar, and the splendid Shwetambara temple
here attracts thousands of Jain pilgrims. The Sobhnath Temple is believed
to the birthplace of the Jain Tirthankar Sambhavnath.
PLACES AROUND SRAVASTI
The Devi Patan
Temple is located some 28 km from Sravasti. It is one of the most
important Shaktipeeths in the region, revered by Hindus in India and
Nepal.
Sankissa is the place where the Buddha descended from
heaven along with Lord Brahma and Devaraj Indra after giving a discourse
to his mother, Mayadevi who had died soon after giving birth to him.
Emperor Ashoka erected a pillar with an elephant capital to mark this holy
spot. Sankissa is situated on the banks of river Kali and is most easily
accessible from Agra, which is 175 km away. The nearest railhead is
Pakhna, 11.5 km away.
HOW TO REACH
BY
AIR - The nearest airport from Sravasti is Lucknow, 176 km away. One can
take flights for other cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Varanasi
from Lucknow.
BY RAIL - The nearest railway station from Sravasti
is Gainjahwa, on the Gonda-Naugarh-Gorakhpur loop line. Gonda and
Gorakhpur are connected to the other cities in India through a fairly good
number of trains.
BY ROAD - Sravasti is
connected with Gonda, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and other cities in central Uttar
Pradesh through state transport corporation buses. The nearest large town
from Sravasti is Balrampur some 20 km away. ............more
