Vaishali (ancient city)

Vaishali derives its name from King Vishal of the Mahabharata age.{{cite web |title=Vaishali |url=https://tourism.bihar.gov.in/en/destinations/vaishali |website=tourism.bihar.gov.in |access-date=6 February 2021 |language=en |archive-date=18 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118022159/https://tourism.bihar.gov.in/en/destinations/vaishali |url-status=live }}

File:Shanti Stupa @ Vaishali - panoramio.jpg

File:Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png or Vrijji Mahajanapada, 600 BCE.]]

File:Ablution bath, Vaishali.jpg

Even before the advent of Buddhism and Jainism, Vaiśālī was the capital of the republican Licchavi state.{{Cite web|url=http://bstdc.bih.nic.in/Vaishali.htm|title=BSTDC|website=BSTDC|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722044101/http://bstdc.bih.nic.in/Vaishali.htm|url-status=live}}[https://www.britannica.com/place/Vaishali Vaishali] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613195634/https://www.britannica.com/place/Vaishali |date=13 June 2021 }} – Encyclopædia Britannica In that period, Vaiśālī was an ancient metropolis and the capital city of the republic of the Vaiśālī state, which covered most of the Himalayan Gangetic region of present-day Bihar state, India. However, very little is known about the early history of Vaiśālī. The Vishnu Purana records 34 kings of Vaiśālī, the first being Nabhaga, who is believed to have abdicated his throne over a matter of human rights and believed to have declared: "I am now a free tiller of the soil, king over my acre." The last among the 34 was Sumati, who is considered a contemporary of Dasaratha, father of the Hindu god, Lord Rama.

Vaiśālī is also renowned as the land of Amrapali, the great Indian courtesan, who appears in many folktales, as well as in Buddhist literature. Amrapali became a disciple of Buddha. Manudev was a famous king of the illustrious Lichchavi clan of the confederacy, who desired to possess Amrapali after he saw her dance performance in Vaishali.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/Amrapali-was-more-than-a-luscious-courtesan/articleshow/12517919.cms|title=Amrapali was more than a luscious courtesan - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=31 January 2013 |access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=19 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519121433/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/Amrapali-was-more-than-a-luscious-courtesan/articleshow/12517919.cms|url-status=live}}

A kilometer away is Abhishek Pushkarini, the coronation tank. The sacred waters of the tank anointed the elected representatives of Vaiśālī. Next to it stands the Japanese temple and the Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda) built by the Nipponzan Myohoji sect of Japan. A small part of the Buddha's relics found in Vaiśālī have been enshrined in the foundation and in the chhatra of the Stupa.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}

Near the coronation tank is Stupa 1 or the Relic Stupa. Here the Lichchavis reverentially encased one of the eight portions of the Master's relics, which they received after the Mahaparinirvana. After his last discourse the Awakened One set out for Kushinagar, but the Licchavis kept following him. Buddha gave them his alms bowl but they still refused to return. The Master created an illusion of a river in spate which compelled them to go back. This site can be identified with Deora in modern Kesariya village, where Ashoka later built a stupa. Ānanda, the personal attendant of the Buddha, attained Nirvana in the midst of the Ganges outside Vaiśālī.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}

By the time Xuanzang visited Vaiśālī in the early 7th century, it was on the decline: he wrote of it that "the capital is ruined" and "it may be called a village or town" (as opposed to a city).{{cite book |last1=Chattopadhyaya |first1=Brajadulal |author-link=Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya |title=The Making of Early Medieval India |date=1994 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New Delhi |isbn=0-19-564076-4 |url=https://ia801503.us.archive.org/28/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.117938/2015.117938.The-Making-Of-Early-Medieval-India.pdf |access-date=17 July 2023}}{{rp|150}}

File:Buddhist Altar, Vaishali.jpg

Vaishali is well known for its close association with the Buddha. After leaving Kapilavastu for renunciation, Prince Siddhartha came to Vaishali first and undertook his initial spiritual training from Uddaka Rāmaputta (Rāmaputra Udraka) and Āḷāra Kālāma. After the Enlightenment the Buddha frequently visited Vaishali. He organized the sangha on the pattern of Vaishalian democracy. It was here that he first allowed females to join the sangha, initiating his maternal aunt Mahaprajapati Gautami into the order. His last Varshavasa (rainy season resort) was here and he announced his approaching Mahaparinirvana (the final departure from the world) just three months in advance. Before leaving for Kusinagara, where he died, he left his alms-bowl (Bhiksha-Patra) here with the people of Vaishali.{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Robert |title=Telling the Story in Art of the Monkey's Gift of Honey to the Buddha |journal=Bulletin of the Asia Institute |date=2009 |volume=23 |pages=43–52 |jstor=24049422 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24049422}}

File:Kundpur_seal.jpg

The Śvetāmbaras state that the final Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira, was born and raised in Kshatriyakund district, Vaiśālī to King Siddhartha. and Queen Trishala. According to Jain text Uttarapurāṇa,

King Chetaka ruled as a Republican President in Vaishali and was a famous and complaisant king. He is mentioned as a staunch follower of Jainism.{{sfn|Pannalal Jain|2015|p=482}} According to the text, Chetaka had ten sons and seven daughters. His sister Priyakarini (also known as Trishala) was married to Siddhartha.{{sfn|Pannalal Jain|2015|p=482}} His daughter Chellana married Shrenik (also known as Bimbisara).{{sfn|Pannalal Jain|2015|p=484}} As per Indologist Hermann Jacobi, Vardhaman Mahavira's mother Trishala was sister of King Chetaka.{{sfn|Sunavala|1934|p=52}}

Vaiśālī was also the residence of Kandaramasuka and Pātikaputta.

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|File:Ashoka pillar at Vaishali, Bihar, India.jpg

|File:Anandastupa.jpg at Kolhua, Vaiśālī]]

|File:Buddha's ashes Stupa, Vaishali, Bihar.jpg, Vaiśālī]]

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Near the coronation tank is Stupa 1 or the Relic Stupa. Here the Licchavis reverentially encased one of the eight portions of the Master's relics, which they received after the Mahaparinirvana. After his last discourse the Buddha set out for Kushinagar, but the Licchavis kept following him. The Buddha gave them his alms bowl but they still refused to return. He then created an illusion of a river in spate which compelled them to go back. This site can be identified with Deora in modern Kesariya village, where Ashoka later built a stupa.{{cite journal |last1=Roy |first1=Sita Ran |title=A Note on Ancient Architecture of Vaisali |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |date=1968 |volume=30 |pages=49–52 |jstor=44141446 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44141446}}

As per recent research, the relic stupa is potentially one of the earliest archaeologically known stupas.{{cite book |last1=Fogelin |first1=Lars |title=An Archaeological History of Indian Buddhism |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199948239 |page=85}}

Kutagarasala Vihara is the monastery where Buddha most frequently stayed while visiting Vaiśālī. It is located 3 kilometres from the relic Stupa, and on its ground can be found the Ānanda Stupa, with an Asokan pillar in very good condition (perhaps the only complete Asokan pillar left standing), and an ancient pond.{{cite book|author=Lars Fogelin|title=An Archaeological History of Indian Buddhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yPZzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-994823-9|pages=84–90}}

A few hundred metres from the Relic Stupa is Abhishek Pushkarini, the coronation tank. The sacred waters of the tank anointed the elected representatives of Vaiśālī.

File:Visva santi stupa, vaishali bihar.jpg

Next to the coronation tank stands the Japanese temple and the Viśvā Śānti Stūpa (World Peace Pagoda) built by the Japanese Nichiren Buddhist sect Nipponzan-Myōhōji. A small part of the Buddha's relics found in Vaiśālī have been enshrined in the foundation and in the chhatra of the Stupa.

The Vaishali Museum was established in 1971 by the Archaeological Survey of India to preserve and display the antiquities found during the exploration of sites around ancient Vaishali.

• In February 2019, Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone of Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum and Memorial Stupa to house Buddha relics.{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Madan |title=Nitish Kumar launches work for Buddha museum and stupa in Vaishali {{!}} Patna News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/nitish-launches-work-for-buddha-museum-and-stupa-in-vaishali/articleshow/68068848.cms?from=mdr |access-date=26 December 2019 |work=The Times of India |date=20 February 2019 |language=en |archive-date=28 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628154508/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/nitish-launches-work-for-buddha-museum-and-stupa-in-vaishali/articleshow/68068848.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}
• In September 2020, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vaishali Railway station. This rail line now connects the city with Hajipur and Patna.[https://www.constructionweekonline.in/15094-pm-modi-inaugurates-kosi-rail-mega-bridge-and-12-railway-projects-in-bihar PM inaugurates 12 railway projects in Bihar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628154445/https://www.constructionweekonline.in/15094-pm-modi-inaugurates-kosi-rail-mega-bridge-and-12-railway-projects-in-bihar |date=28 June 2021 }} constructionweekonline.in

File:Vimalakirti debating Manjusri, Tang Dynasty.jpg]]

• Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. Born into a royal kshatriya family in what is now Vaishali district of Bihar. He abandoned all worldly possessions at the age of 30 and became an ascetic. He is considered a slightly older contemporary of the Buddha.{{cite book|author=Romesh Chunder Dutt|title=A History of Civilisation in Ancient India: Based on Sanscrit Literature: Volume I|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=udv7AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA382|date=5 November 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-38189-8|pages=382–383}}

• Chetaka, King and ruler of the Vajjika League which had its capital in Vaishali.{{cite book|author=Upinder Singh|title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1677-9|pages=260–263}}

• Vimalakirti, the central figure of the Vimalakirti Sutra and a lay practitioner of Buddhism.{{cite book|title=The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti: A Mahāyāna Scripture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n4K7p6XSpSYC&pg=PA146-IA2|year=1991|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-0874-4|page=20}}

• Gayadhara, 11th century Buddhist master and scholar {{cite journal |last1=Jayaswal |first1=KP |title=Lost Sanskrit Works recovered from Tibet |journal=Maha Bodhi and the United Buddhist World |date=1937 |volume=45 |pages=89-101 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.529727/page/n97/mode/2up?q=vaisali}}{{cite book |title=Selected Essays of Rahul Sankrityayan |date=1984 |publisher=People's Publishing House |page=9|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Selected_Essays_of_Rahul_Sankrityayan/WEQEAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=gayadhara+vaishali&dq=gayadhara+vaishali&printsec=frontcover}}

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{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=Archaeology of Vaishali|last=Kumar|first=Dilip|year=1986|publisher=Ramanand Vidya Bhawan}}
• {{cite book |title=Vaishali and the Indianization of Arakan|last=Singer |first=Noel.F. |year=2008|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-313-0405-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LXw9pgWvFxUC&q=Vaishali&pg=PA28 }}

{{Sister project links|voy=yes|d=Q1509463}}

{{ppn|vy/vesaali.htm|Vesali}}

{{RBK|25|Vaisali}}

{{Suttas|Vesali|varanasi|mn/mn.105.than.html#vesali Sunakkhatta Sutta - To Sunakkhatta|mn/mn.012.ntbb.html#vesali Maha-sihanada Sutta - The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar}}

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