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| Ashoka Pillar |
Vaishali_Buddhist and Jain worship place
Located in the rural areas of Bihar, Vaishali is a district
which is also famous for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain worship place. This is the
city where Lord Mahavira’s was born. Vaishali is believed to have been named after
King Vishalika, since the time of Mahabharata. It is also the city where Buddha
gave his last sermon, surrounded by mango and banana and extensive rice field,
it is now a part of the Tirhut department of Bihar. The village is an important
religious and historical attraction and is taken out during the year and year
of the tourists. The top place near Vaishali is Patna which is 44 km from
Vaishali, Bodh Gaya which is located 145 km from Vaishali, and Varanasi which
is 224 km from Vaishali, Nalanda which is 120 km from Vaishali, Rajgir
According to tradition, in the early times the city
was surrounded by three walls with gates and watchmen. The site today is marked
by two groups of mounds and has been partially excavated by archaeologists. The
earliest occupation of the site is probably associated with the black and red
pottery of pre-Buddhist times; this was followed by northern black polished
ware of the early Buddhist period. Vaishali is on the site of a village now
known as Besgarh.
Lord Buddha has spent an important time of his life here
and he used to visit Vaishali every time. Furthermore, his last sermon was held
here in Vaishali, marking the city as an extremely important center for
Buddhism. To mark this event, King Ashoka, who embraced Buddhism after the
massacre of Kalinga, decided to erect one of his notable pillars here. Apart
from Buddhists, Vaishali is revered by Jains as a sacred place as it is also
the birth place of Lord Mahavira’s.
Buddha Stupa-2
The footprints of Lord Rama in the Ramchaura temple
also form a strong connection to the Hindus. Vaishali is today a small village
surrounded by banana and mango trees as well as rice fields. However,
excavations in the region have brought to light an important historical past.
Historians say that in the 6th century BC with a House of Representatives, one
of the world's first democratic republics in the time of the Vajjis and the Lichchavis and when Pataliputra, the capital of the Mauryas and the Guptas, dominated the Ganges
plain, Vaishali was the center of trade and industry. Lord Buddha visited
Vaishali frequently and preached his last sermon, at Kolhua.Vaishali is one of
the important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world.
Here are the top tourist attractions to see in Vaishali:
1) Ashoka Pillar
Ashok Pillar
King Ashoka became a great follower of Buddhism
after the massacre of Kalinga and built a famous Ashoka pillar in Vaishali to
commemorate the last sermon of Lord Buddha which took place here.
At the top of the pillar towards the north, there is
a life resembling the figure of a lion flawlessly engraved, which is believed
to be the direction of the last journey of Lord Buddha. There is a brick stupa
and a pond known as Ramkund next to the pole which sows to create a sacred
place for Buddhists. There is also a small pond here which is known as Ramkund.
2) World
Peace Stupa
Shanti Stupa-1
The large, domed Buddhist temple has intricate
carvings, sculptures and a serene veneer.
A 125-foot-tall pagoda built by the Buddhist Vihara
Samaj in collaboration with the Japanese government was excavated in 1969. It
is a truly beautiful, white, beautiful stupa surrounded by huge greenery,
tranquility and a pond where you can spend some time boating and breathing in
the fresh air.
3) Stupa
of Buddha
Stupa with Ashok Pillar
There are two stupas, stupa 1 and stupa 2 which are named on the basis of their discovery and excavation. In both the ashes of Lord Buddha (which was divided into eight parts) were placed in a stone coffin. The founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha, gave his last sermon and announced his Parinirvan (attainment of knowledge) on this sacred soil. It is also famous as the land of Ambapali (Amrapali) of the great Indian court. It is believed that the name of the district is derived from King Vishal.
However, history records that when Pataliputra was the center of political, cultural and economic activities in the Gangetic plains, Vaishali came into existence as the center of the Ganges, it was the seat of the Vajaji Republic. Vaishali is credited with being the first republic in the world to have a duly elected assembly of representatives and efficient administration.
We will reach Vaishali by flight, the nearest
airport is Patna (40 km) which takes an hour to reach. You can opt for a taxi
from the airport or go by bus to Vaishali. Vaishali is well connected by road
with other cities. There is easy availability of buses and autos. Vaishali is a
famous tourist destination and this has led to a boom in transportation
facilities. There is easy availability of buses, autos or even passenger buses.
The nearest railway station is Hajipur which is about 14 km from Vaishali and
takes about 20 minutes to reach.
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