North of Northeast part IX

 

(Continued from part VIII)

“ Thukje Choeling nunnery.” popularly known as Ani Gompa is located on a hill top, quite isolated from the Tawang town. The road passes through number of military establishments before it starts climbing up to the top. There is not much parking space available at the top and our flotilla of 8 cars is barely accommodated there. There is a customary welcome arch made from two wooden pillars and a horizontal beam, painted in a typical Tibetan way. There are number of small sheds with tin roofs painted with yellow colour. There is only one two story building, which must be the Dukhang or prayer hall.

I walk through the narrow path between the sheds. Ahead is the small wooden water wheel, which might be being used for grinding grains or some such task. The frames of window panes are painted bright orange with delicate flower design on the sills indicating a feminine hand. The Dukhang again is quite small but has delicately painted door frames and beams. A few nuns wearing maroon robes are seen doing some work. Prayer hall has a pillared veranda and the inner veranda walls are painted with bright coloured murals of Buddha and the the four guardians of directions. The reigning deity inside is “Tara,(also known as Jetsun Dolma)” who is a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. Tara is actually the generic name for a set of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas of similar aspect. The deity here is specifically known as “Green Tara,” known as the Buddha of enlightened activity.

A large sized statue of the deity is seen behind a glass panel along with framed photographs of monks. Both electric and oil burning lights are lit before the deity. There are several Thangkas hanging on pillars and walls, some with figures of all avataras of Tara with the green Tara occupying the central position. Another one is painted with a figure of Buddha. I come out in the court yard. With the bright sun light outside, it is quite cosy and warm outside. Bright red chillies and some kind of cheese are being dried up in the sunlight perhaps for the incoming harsh winter. I request the nun standing there to let me taste the cheese. It tastes kind of tasteless. It is actually Cheese made from Yak milk.

Quite impressed with the dedication of the nuns, I walk out to the car. Our next halt is in the town market. Surprisingly contrary to my expectations, I find no smuggled Chinese goods here. Tawang market is just like any other Indian town market on the tourism citcuit. Curios, mementos and items of general use. There is a separate vegetable market. We return to the hotel for lunch and some rest.

By late afternoon, we are back on road, this time to visit one of the most important and not to be missed spots in Tawang; the Tawang war memorial. After the 1962 war, a memorial was first erected near the village of Lumpo situated on bank of Nyamyang Chu river in Zemithang circle of Tawang district, to honour the dead, who had sacrificed their lives in the battle of Namka Chu river. However, because of the extreme weather conditions, this memorial soon turned into a dilapidated state. In 1990's army took up the construction of a befitting grand memorial in Tawang town itself within the premises of garrison stationed in Tawang. The 40 feet high terminal has been built at the cost of 15 hundred thousand Rupees on a slope just before one enters the town within premises of garrison known as “Korea Brigade.” It was blessed by Dalai Lama himself in 1997. The memorial, locally called ‘Namgyal Chortan’ was dedicated to the nation in 1999. Though the memorial has been designed by army, help of hundreds of monks along with locals and government officials was taken to keep with the local religious sentiments. The vault of the memorial has idols of Lord Buddha, scriptures, ornaments, jewels, valuables and other items deposited by the people including holy scriptures and idols of Arya Avlokiteshwara and Lord Buddha sent by Dalai lama, which have been personally blessed by him.

The car stops on a large parking ground and we walk to the site of the memorial. The imposing structure has been built like a large Stupa or a Chorten. There is a 3 step outside wall, semicircular in shape. On the flat surfaces of the steps, flowering shrubs have been planted in the flower beds specially created there. I can see some lovely roses there. The vertical walls are painted white along with symbols of various army units that took part in the battle, painted at regular intervals . To go inside, one needs to climb about 20 to 25 steps, where an elevated circular path exists that goes around the Stupa. On both sides of steps, 4 numbers of marble lions, sculptured in Tibetan style have been placed on top two steps. On top of the topmost step, 9 flagpoles stand on which Indian tricolour and flags of army and air force units flutter in the wind.

The Stupa proper has a stepped peripheral wall covered with marble stone slabs. Fixed on this wall and facing the steps is a granite legend plate with two oil lamps burning on the sides. The legend plate reads as under:

THE ULTIMATE

IN MEMORY OF THE OVER 2420 OFFICERS

JCO'S AND SOLDIERS WHO LAID DOWN

THEIR LIVES IN KAMENG SECTOR

DURING 1962 WAR

THERE NAMES LIVETH EVERMORE

On both sides of the legend plate, a sculptured frieze with Buddhist motifs extends all the way around the Stupa. Above the stupa dome, there is a recess, in which a Buddha's image has been kept. A red and gold coloured pinnacle stands high up above. At the rear of the Stupa structre, two wings consisting of memorial halls have been constructed. These halls also have red and gold coloured pinnacles on top. The walls facing the front have recesses in which gold and red coloured Buddhist prayer wheels have been built. The walls of the halls on both sides are lined with black granite plates on which names of all 2420 martyred officers and men have been etched in gold.

I am quite sure that most of the readers would be taken aback and mortified to find that army had lost more than two thousand men in course of this one month long war that saw real action only for 7 or 8 days. To analyse the reasons of such horrific losses, we must briefly touch upon some historic and geographical details, which I propose to do later.

I start walking from left leading to the rear memorial hall. At the center of this hall, A pillar covered with granite and marble stone plates has been built. A bust of an extraordinarily brave soldier; Subedar Joginder Singh has been placed here. At the base of the pillar, I can see flowers and other Buddhist religious items placed neatly. A circular flower wreath stands in front. On both sides of the pillar there are four earthen pots with their mouths covered with pure white cloth pieces tied around the neck by a string. On the covering cloth pieces, names of four places have been written in large black letters. These places are Jaswantgarh, Tonpeng La, Bum La and Zimithang. The pots actually contain loose earth or soil from the battle fields from these four places, where battles of 1962 were fought and many Indians had sacrificed their lives. The walls of the hall are adorned with citations, replica of the “Maha Veer Chakra” awarded to Subedar Joginder Singh and banners of all army units that saw action in 1962 war here.

On the opposite side is a larger memorial hall that displays a 3 dimensional map of Kameng sector, labeled with names for ridges, rivers and places where the battles were fought. On display are several photographs, weapons and personal effects of soldiers like helmets, mugs and rifle bullets used in 1962 war. A JCO, again from Maratha Light infantry addresses us, giving us details about the battles, reasons for India's defeats and the situation on border now. He suggests that we must visit the border and see how normal and calm the things are. He emphatically suggests that we should not really believe in what they show on TV, which mostly are some old video clips from record and form an impression that India-China border in Arunachal is not quiet. He also explains the difference between LOC; Line of Control and LOAC; Line of actual control. According to him out of 1126 Km length of India-China border in Arunachal Padesh, 1106 Km of border is well defined LOC, that follows the geographical features ( McMahon line) . Only 20Km of border on the western end, where this border line meets the tri-junction point between India-china and Bhutan is still ambiguous and is called as LOAC. Particularly heart touching is the fact narrated by him that in the 1962 war here, there was only one rifle and 12 bullets available for three soldiers, whereas Chinese soldiers had semi automatic and automatic weapons.

I walk out of the hall and we assemble in the front. Everyone in the group is in solemn and sad mood. Someone suggests that we should sing national anthem here. Before we could begin. Before we begin it is pointed out that protocol says that we should not sing it after sunset. In two minds, we stand steady for two minutes with eyes closed paying our homage to brave soldiers, who had sacrificed their lives in this far off remote corner of India. We all slowly walk back to the foreground.

Behind the war memorial, army has built a large open air amphitheater, where they hold a light-n- sound show every evening. We assemble in the viewers gallery waiting for the show that is likely to begin in another 30 minutes or so.

My thoughts naturally return to the 1962 war and the horrific loss of more than two thousand brave soldiers of India. As I mentioned above, to analyse the reasons for this terrible loss, we must go back to 1962 and find out what actually happened here.

( To be continued in part X)

22^nd December 2014

Amaravati all set to gain its past glory

Amaravati is a tiny town, situated 35 Km north of the city of Guntur on the right or the south bank of river Krishna, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, which has been bifurcated very recently. In local language it is known as “Dipaldinne,” which means a Hill of the Lamp.

Amaravati and the adjoining areas have had been great seats of Buddhist learning and religion at the beginning of our era. The famous Chinese monk and pilgrim, Xuel Zang mentions in his travelogue from 7^th century that at Amaravati, though many Buddhist monasteries were deserted by then, at least twenty were still in use with a thousand monks living there.

Few readers would be able to imagine that this obscure tiny town in the interior, once boasted of a grand monument that could be compared or perhaps was even grander than the famous Taj Mahal and was visited by thousands of Buddhist pilgrims every day. The monument in form of a great Buddhist Stupa, was however lost in the passage of time and all that remained was a mound of earth. This mound was eventually called the 'Hill of the lamp' by local people and the town got its name from this hillock.

In the year 1796, a local landlord wanting to shift to Amaravati, started quarrying rocks from nearby mounds of earth to build his house. He also attempted to dig the 'Hill of the lamp' and to utmost surprise of everyone around found stone slabs with sculptured bass reliefs. The news reached a British officer Colonel Colin Mackenzie, who was a passionate collector and student of antiquity. He visited the spot and immediately perceived that the mound of earth was in fact a great Stupa having about Ninety feet diameter and Twenty feet height. Mackenzie returned to the site in March 1816 armed with a team of draftsmen and surveyors. For next 2 years they made detailed plans and drawings of the monument.

After the great Stupa was discovered, a mad rush began amongst British officers to acquire the stone slabs of the Stupa. Many slabs were also distributed by the officers to various museums within India. In 1845, another British officer carried out excavation in the south west part of the mound and found large number of fragments. He sent them to Madras, where they lay neglected and exposed. In 1856 a new museum was opened in Madras. Edward Balfour, officer-in charge of the museum, decided to collect all the pieces and catalogue them. Finally 121 stone slabs were sent to England in 1859. They were sent from a museum to museum and finally in 1880 they reached British museum, where they are exhibited since.

In 1880, Duke of Buckingham, then Governor of Madras, ordered complete excavation of the site. The site not converted to a large pit. More than 400 fragments were recovered mostly from the outer railing and were sent to museum at madras, where they can be seen even today. A few balance pieces are exhibited at the site in a small museum. This is the sad story, how a great monument built by Satavahana kings, somewhere around first or second century CE, was totally destroyed, after discovery, instead of being renovated and rebuilt for the future generations. From whatever that is left of the great monument, one can easily imagine its grandeur and also the importance and glory that Amaravati must have enjoyed in the past, very well comparable to Taj Mahal itself.

So, how this great monument really looked like? At the centre was a giant solid dome of a Stupa some one hundred and forty-eight feet in diameter. This was surrounded by two highly sculptured stone railings. The inner railing actually almost touched the drum of the Stupa and carried all the decoration on it. The outer railing constructed from limestone slabs, was One hundred and ninety two feet in diameter and was pierced by four gates provided in cardinal directions. The outer railing was also elaborately carved with bass reliefs depicting many scenes from Jataka stories and Buddha's life. It is not knows how such a great monument was slowly forgotten and became totally neglected. It soon became a pile of rubble and in a few centuries of time became a mound of earth and with its disappearence, the famous town of Amaravati also became a forgotten obscure town in the interior of 'Andhradesa.'

It is now reported that this obscure town, will hit the limelight again in future, as it has been selected as the possible site of the new of capital of the bifurcated Andhara Pradesh state. The present Chief Minister of the state is known for his acumen for conceiving and building things, from what he did in the Hyderabad city few decades earlier. He is keen to build the new capital on both sides of the river with all modern facilities and world class transportation.

It seems that after lapse of more than two millenniums Amaravati is all set to gain it's lost glory as it's star is rising again. Perhaps it might become even more famous than in the past.

4^th July 2014

Where the hell was Dhenukakata?- Part V

(Karle caves entrance, Red roofed building on right, is the temple of the deity Ekvira) 

(Continued from)

The caves of Karle'n, where a thriving Buddhist monastery once existed, also bear another significant landmark. Just at the mouth of the main Chaitya hall, exists a temple of a deity known as “Ekvira Devi. The temple consists of a small domed building on a high plinth of cut stone that was constructed in the year 1866, however locals believe that an older temple stood here, built at least a century before. The local people also believe that the deity has been worshiped ever since a long time ago.

According to “Bombay Gazetteer Vol 16 (pp. 455),” the chief interest from the history point of view, in this small temple, is that this temple of the deity, called as Ekvira and related to Dravidian deity, Akka Aveyyar, actually may have been be older than the Buddhist Monastery itself and this site on the hill slope was probably chosen as the site for the monastery because of the local fame of this deity. Though all local remembrance of Buddhism is now buried under Hindu religion myths and superstitions, some connection is still being maintained between the deity of 'Ekvira' here and the old Buddhist relic shrine (Stupa). The Stupa is known amongst the disciples of the deity, who are mainly fishermen as throne of the king 'Dharma Raja.' By tradition, the fishermen votaries make a promise to the Goddess that they would walk a certain number of times around 'Ekvira's Shrine' if their wish is granted. But this is something impossible as the Deity's image is cut on a hill side and no one can walk round it. A clever way has been found out in which a large arched wooden frame with a revolving paper lantern in the center is set in the main Chaitya hall of the ancient monastery and people walk around the Buddhist Stupa itself to fulfill their pledge. Should a child be born in response to such a vow, the cradle is presented to the Stupa rather than to the Goddess. Whenever a Koli (fisherman) family visits the deity, the Stupa is also worshiped with offerings,

 (Karle'n caves entrance circa 1880, Ekvira temple in foreground )

Investigating this strange cult of a Hindu Goddess associated with a Buddhist Stupa at Karle'n, Late D.D. Kosambi found out another but even stranger tradition for this deity. In most parts of India, there is a common tradition that a deity is taken out once in a year in a Palanquin (A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers) or a chariot, mostly during times of the yearly festival. Usually the Deity is taken out of the temple, is taken to another temple or a fixed spot, and brought back to the temple. However in case of the deity at the mouth of Karle'n caves, the tradition is completely different.

Every year, thousands of fishermen collect themselves at a small village known as “Devghar” in the flat lands of the valley below Karle'n and Bhaje caves for the initiation of the palanquin procession of the Goddess Ekvira. The procession after leaving the village of Devghar does not visit or touch any other village and straight way goes to the temple of the Goddess near the mouth of the Chaitya hall. But the most intriguing thing that was found by D.D. Kosambi in 1955, was that at this place “Devghar,” there was no cult existing of this Goddess 'Ekvira' at all and only a temple of a deity known as 'Kalbhairav' existed. No one knew why this procession of 'Ekvira' started from this village.

This procession, now a days, is part of a grand festival that lasts for almost a week, ending on full moon day of the first month of the Hindu calender. Two small processions are taken out locally, one at Devghar and another at Karle'n caves earlier in the period. The deity of 'Kalbhairav' at Devghar village, has now been awarded the status of the brother of 'Ekvira' deity and accordingly Devghar has now become the parental abode of the Goddess. Yet the main procession still starts from Devghar village to Karle'n on full moon day as per old tradition, and is now called as “Procession of the ceremonial pole.”

(Yearly procession reaches the temple )

Based on observations made in 1955, Late D.D. Kosambi argued and I quote:

“The gathering under Koli (Fishermen) sponsorship of several thousand pilgrims and worshipers at 'Devghar' for the initiation of the palanquin procession leaves no doubt about the ancient connection between the village of 'Devghar' and the Karle'n Chaitya for no reason apparent today, but comprehensible if the village was once called as Dhenukakata.”

Late D.D. Kosambi also goes on explaining how the present name of this village 'Devghar' might have been derived from the ancient name of Dhenukakata. According to him, in the ancient inscriptions, we find several versions of this name engraved, like for example in inscription no 19 at Karle'n, where it is written as Dhenukata. In Shelarwadi cave inscription, it has been written as Dhenukada. There is an old Hemadpant style temple, probably built in 11^th century, that exists in the village. D.D.Kosambi argues that because of this temple the final name change of the village from Dhenukada to Devghar must have happened.

 (Crowds gathered for the procession)

I find this argument quite reasonable and valid and if our Dhenukakata was really located at the site of this village, it also answers most of the questions raised my me earlier.

So how did this village look like, before present day transformations of the modern age embarked upon it. Fortunately, we have a book, “The cave Temple of India,” written by James Fergusson and James Burgess, that was published in 1880, which surprisingly describes this village in few lines. It says:

“In the hills near to Karle'n there are a number of cells and rock cisterns. Thus in the hill above the village of 'Devgadh,' a little to south west of Karle'n, is a half finished 'Vihara' (monk's dwellings) cave, with two roughly-hewn square columns in front having bracket capitals; and in the back of the cave a door has been commenced as if for a shrine. In the rising ground, east of the village, is a rock cut tank and some cuttings, as if intended for the commencement of a small cave with a cistern.”



Dr. D.D. Kosambi's observations about the village done in 1955, confirm this and also say that at the foot of the hillock in Devghar, an unusual concentration of microliths (small tools) made from a semi-precious gemstone known as Carnelian are found, which indicate some kind of even older (prehistoric) origin for the rituals that happen every year at Devghar. To consider that the dilapidated cave in this village, located in the trading community of Dhenukakata, could have been a sort of liaison or commercial dealings office of the great monastery, can not be considered as to be in a realm of imagination. In the village of Devghar, there is an ancient tank of water. No one knows how old it is? Perhaps dredging it out, might bring out some of the historical facts, we do not know.



It is fairly easy to imagine, what must have happened to Dhenukakata or Devghar as time rolled on. The Satavahana empire as well as Indo-scythic empires gave way to new rivalries in the Deccan with power of center moving to east; towards Andhra Pradesh. The northern ports of Kalyan and Sopara must have opened again and so also the route through Naneghat. This must have brought an end to importance of the southerly route that was any way much more cumbersome and lengthy. This must have led to exit of trader community out and slowly Dhenukakata died and returned to being a small village in the interior of Deccan region; neglected forever.



(Concluded)



References:

1. Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. 16, pp 455
   
2. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 1941
   
3. Cave -temples of western India, by JAS Burgess and Bhagwanlal Indraji Pandit
   
4. Journal of the Asiatic society of Bombay Vol 30, 1955
   
5. The cave Temple of India, by James Fergusson and James Burgess
6. Journal of the Asiatic society of Bombay Vol 56-59, 1981-84
   

24^th January 2014

Garland bearers of the Buddha

Last year, after visiting New Delhi’s National museum, I wrote a series of articles about antique objects displayed in the museum, from parts of the ancient silk route ( presently in Xinjiang province of China), which were collected by one of great explorers of last century, Sir Aurel Stein. In one of the articles, I had written about an exceptionally bright painting done on the dado of a wall, along the northern circular passage of a shrine, at a place called ‘Miran’.
Sometime back, a reader, after reading my post , inquired with me about another picture painted on the same wall and supposed to be displayed in Delhi museum. Since I had not seen that painting, I was rather curious and requested her to send me a copy of the painting by mail. This painting is rather unusual as it shows a men carrying a huge garland of flowers of a wavy kind of construction. The reader also had mentioned to me, that a similar type of bass relief showing similar wavy garland and bearers, which was supposedly to be from Gandhar kingdom (present location Pakistan, around Peshawar city), is displayed in the Musee Guimet,Paris. Needless to say that I got very much interested in this curious  wavy garland and it’s bearers. 

Wavy garland with bearers from Shrine at Miran in China

Bass relief from Musee Guimet, Paris

I carried out a search for similar garlands and garland bearers on the net. To my surprise, I found that almost all major museums had similar ‘garland bearers carrying a garland’ bass relief panels in their exhibits. Even many private collections boasted of ‘garland bearers with that wavy garland design’ panels. It was obvious that this was a very popular motif and was not something unique or extra ordinarily exquisite. 

The Miran wall paintings are supposedly from 3^rd or 4^th century. Most of the Gandhar bass reliefs are from 2^nd or 3^rd century. Obviously this was a popular motif of that period. 

Amarawati is a small town near east cost of India. This town from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh state of India, is located on the southern bank of the mighty Krishna river. Little south of this town a splendid Stupa was discovered at the end of eighteenth century. This stupa consisted of a solid dome of 148 feet dimeter on a pedestal or a base. A stone railing of 192 feet diameter was constructed around the central stupa. This outer railing consisted of 9 feet high upright stone pillars supported by round cross bars. The railing was crowned by a 2 feet high coping rounded at the top. Besides this, the central dome also had two rings of copings. These were much smaller in height. The outer face of the outer rail coping was carved with a continuous garland carried on the shoulders of young men, sometimes accompanied by women. The loops of the garland were filled with various motifs. One of the smaller copings also had similar continuous garland carried by dwarfs. 

Amaravati Stupa rail copings with garland motif

It is generally believed that the construction of the stupa was done sometimes between beginning of second century to 3^rd century. The continuous garland pattern around the complete outer rail and dome of the stupa explains, why so many of these relief panels with garland designs have been found in Gandhara, as there must have many stupas and each one had a coping with carved panels of garlands. Since each stupa had number of these panels used in the coping, the total number of available panels in ruins from this region was bound to be a big number. This explains why so many of these carved panels are found all over the world museums.



The most surprising fact however is that three places, one near the Hindu Kush mountains, one place in south India at a distance of 1330 miles from it, and a third place deep inside China, again at a distance of 1029 miles from it, had similar garland motifs on the religious shrines there.

Bharhut rail copings with lotus stem pattern

There were two or three major stupas in India at the turn of the first millennium. The one at Bharhut was supposed to be constructed between 250 to 200 BC and has a very similar construction as Amarawati stupa. It is interesting to note that rail coping in this stupa does not carry garland design at all, but shows a purely Indian, lotus stem pattern. Similarly stupa at Sanchi, constructed sometime during first century AD, also does not carry any continuous garland designs. 

Celestial Garland bearers at Sanchi

    

 Celestial Garlan bearer from Bharhut   stupa

At both these places, small figurines do appear on pillar carvings, carrying garlands, but there is no continuous garland design. Another curious but well known observation is that both Sanchi and Bharhut stupas were constructed during Hinayana phase of Buddhism in India and do not show Buddha in human form anywhere.
It is obvious from this discussion that the continuous garland motif was used in Gandhara sometimes during second century and the motif was well accepted by the Mahayana school and its use spread widely all over India and China. 

I quote here from a publication of the Peshawar museum, which explains cultural history of Gandhara, It says that,
“ The cosmopolitan nature of Gandhara art is the likely product of cultural interaction due to invasions,immigration, emigration, diplomatic links and trade communications. Together these factors led to a unigication of an array of various stylistic traditions obtained from Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Central Asians, Chinese and Indians.”

Carrying this point further another well known archeologist and historian of India, Vincent Smith says that

“ the interaction of Greek and Buddhist culture flourished in the area of Gandhara, in today’s northern Pakistan, before spreading further into India, influencing the art of Mathura, and then the Hindu art of the Gupta empire, which was to extend to the rest of South-East Asia. The influence of Greco-Buddhist art also spread northward towards Central Asia, strongly affecting the art of the Tarim Basin, and ultimately the arts of China, Korea, and Japan.
Scenes of cupids holding rich garlands, sometimes adorned with fruits, is another very popular Gandharan motif, directly inspired from Greek art. It is sometimes argued that the only concession to Indian art appears in the anklets worn by the cupids. These scenes had a very broad influence, as far as Amaravati on the eastern coast of India, where the cupids are replaced by Yakshas.”

In New York’s Metropolitan Museum of art, there is an exhibit, the citation for which reads as “ Marble sarcophagus with garlands and the myth of Theseus and Ariadne [Roman, Hadrianic or early Antonine] .” Now a sarcophagus in simple English means a coffin. It appears that the garland with cupids motif was so popular with Greeks and Romans, that it was used even on a coffin.
Finally a word about the cupids. Though Gandhara engravers used the naked figurines of cupid on the bass reliefs, it probably was not palatable in Tarim basin of China and in south India. Cupids therefore took form of dwarfs and ordinary men and women. 

The Garland bearing Yaksha from Amaravati Stupa (Note that he is dressed and not naked)

Few months back, I visited Buddhist caves in the city of Junagadh; Gujarat state of India. These caves are supposed to be dug at the beginning of the first Millinium. The caves are decorated with beautifully carved supporting pillars. At the bottom of the pillars, just near the bottom rung, I noticed faint traces of a wavy design. On careful scrutiny, I realised that it was the famous design of garland bearers. I was quite astonished to see that design here, because this meant that this part of the cave was dug obvuiously much later, probably in second century CE. 

 Garland bearers carved on pillars in Buddhist caves at Junagadh, Gujarat state

The flower garland motif became popular when Mahayana school of Buddhism became prevalent in India. The Avatamsaka Sūtra (Sanskrit: महावैपुल्यबुद्धावतंसकसूत्र >Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvatamsaka Sūtra) is one of the most influential Mahayana sutras of East Asian Buddhism. The title is rendered in English as Flower Garland Sutra, Flower Adornment Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scripture. Is this the reason for the garland motif, picked up from Greco-Romans, to become popular, over such a large area where Buddhism was practiced? No one would know for sure.

The Kapilavastu Controversy Part III

After visiting the Piprahwa Stupa, Krishna Mohan Srivastava, who was a superintending archeologist with the Archeological Survey of India took a decision. He decided to commence immediately, excavations over a wide area in Piprahwa to settle, once for all, the controversy about Kapilavastu. He had the support of a previous report of 1962, written by his co-archeologist, Mrs. D. Mitra, who after extensive excavations in the Tiaurkot area, had reported in unequivocal terms that Kapilavastu ruins can be found only near Piprahwa. Srivastava had a premonition that the relic caskets discovered by William Peppe in 1897-98, could not be the original ones received by Sakyas of Kapilvastu as one of the eight claimants to a portion of relics of the Buddha after he was cremated at Kushinagar and which were solemnized by them in a Stupa, for one simple reason. As mentioned earlier, there was an inscription on one of the smaller urns, which was written in a script, whose style clearly pointed to third century BCE. This meant that more than two centuries had passed from the time of Buddha's cremation in 483 BCE before this urn was solemnized. A noted orientalist and indologist, Sylvain Lévi had already expressed his opinion that this inscription was probably engraved on the occasion of the rebuilding of the ancient Stupa as a mark of earlier solemn dedication. Srivastava had a feeling that the earlier and original relics must be still deep down below the relics found by William Peppe in the Stupa. He started his excavation with a small trench in the north eastern quadrant.

It should be more interesting to read about Srivastava's excavation work in his own words. I quote from a report written by him:

“ A small trench was sunk in its north-eastern quadrant, which revealed interesting features. An outline of the shaft bored by Peppe could be easily observed. At a depth of six metres from the extant top of the stupa, two burnt brick chambers came to light. These chambers, separated from one another by 65 cms. of yellowish compact clay mixed with kankar, were at a much lower level than the spot where the stone box containing the inscribed casket had been found by Peppe. There was a mud deposit, about six centimetres thick, between the last course of the burnt brick stupa and the chambers. The two chambers were identical in shape, measuring 82 x 80 x 37 cms. The specific purpose of the brick chambers, to keep the sacred objects, was apparent enough from the nature of their construction. 

A soapstone casket and a red ware dish placed close to each other were observed in the northern chamber after the top three courses of brick had been removed. This dish was covered by another dish of the same type, which had broken into three pieces. Both the soapstone casket and the dish were found to be carefully packed with the help of bricks and brickbats. The casket contained fragments of charred bone. The contents of the dish could not be distinguished, because it was badly smashed and filled with earth. That there were no bone fragments in it, is, however, certain. The positions of the casket and dishes were different in the southern brick chamber. Two dishes, of the same type and size as in the northern chamber, were placed side by side just below the topmost course of the brick. Both dishes were reduced to fragments. When two further courses of brick were removed, another soapstone casket, bigger in size, came to light. The lid of the casket was found broken. On removal of the earth, which had filled up the casket, charred bones were found inside. Since the relic caskets were found in deposits contemporaneous with the Northern Black Polished Ware, they could be dated to the fifth-fourth centuries B.C., and thus earlier than the inscribed relic casket discovered by Peppe at a higher lever, and also distinguished stratigraphically. The possibility that the stupa at Piprahwa could be the same as that constructed by the Sakyas at Kapilavastu over their share of relics received at Kushinagar increased.”

 one of the soapstone caskets found by Srivastava

Having settled the doubts regarding originality of Piprahwa Stupa and the original relics of Buddha, Srivastava resumed excavation work on the ruins of a monastery on the eastern side. During excavation of the cells and the veranda on the northern side, Srivastava's team was able to find about 40 terracotta sealings at various depths and spots. Most of the sealings were round with few being oval. Each Sealing had one of the following embossed on a side.

1."Om Devaputra Vihare Kapilavastu Bhikkhusamghasa."

(The term Devaputra means Son of Gods, but was a title given to themselves by Kushan Kings like Kanishka or Huvishka. The legend therefore can be read as:)

“ Om of the community of monks of Kapilavastu in the monastery of Kanishka or Huvishka”

2."Maha Kapilavastu Bhikshusamghasa"

Which means

“ Of the community of Buddhist monks of great Kapilavastu”

3.“ Sarandasasa.”

(The third group carry the names of monks. One of them has been read as above)

 sealings bearing the legend "Kapilavastu"

After more excavations Srivastava was also able to find two massive burnt brick structural complexes, with impressive projected entrances to the east and many other structures. In a nearby site at in Ganwaria, even more burnt brick structures were found. There was a surprise silence of about three years, before Archeological survey of India finally announced, much to the heartburn of their Nepali counterparts, that the real Kapilavastu has been found. Srivastava says this, in his report, quite unequivocally and I quote:

“The proximity of these structures to the ancient site of Piprawha, where the sealings with the name of Kapilavastu were found, their impressive size and constructional features and the large quantity of

antiquities found within them, leave little doubt that the structures formed the residential complex of the chief of the capital town, Kapilavastu, i.e., the Sakya King Suddhodhana and his predecessors.”

 Piprahwa Ruins

Archeological Survey of India has now put up signs at the sites in Piprahwa and Ganwaria stating that the sites are, where original Kapilvastu in which Goutama Buddha grew up, stood once. Uttar Pradesh state of India has renamed that area as Kapilavastu and tour operates have started including Piprahwa as Kapilavastu in their tours. New Delhi's National Museum proudly displays the urn containing the Buddha relics.

 Piprahwa Stupa and the ruins

Does it mean that the controversy is now over? It does not seem so. Nepali archeologists and large section of the scholars refuse to accept India's claims and many more studies are going on. They also point out that Indian archeologists have failed to find any ruins of fortifications and gates around the ancient city at Piprahwa, which exist in Tiaurkot. The main lacuna in Nepali standpoint however remains to be absence of a Stupa carrying relics.

 Ganwaria ruins

There is one more loose end, which bothers me. William Peppe, in his detailed description, mentions finding of gold pieces, pearls and all kinds of precious stones in the Piprahwa Stupa along with the caskets. He appears to be a man genuinely interested in Archeology and considering the manner he has chosen to give description of these treasures, found inside Stupa, it seems highly unlikely that he had just disposed of these treasures for his gains. The archeological treasures have to be some where, safely kept by him.

It now appears that this loose end, the other contents found by William Peppe, had surfaced in London in 2004 themselves.

(To be continued)

29 August 2012

The Kapilavastu Controversy: Part II

Notwithstanding the objections raised by Dr. Anton Führer, the Buddhist world was thrilled with Peppe's discovery and welcomed the Buddha relics. It appears that Dr.Führer was quickly unmasked by a British magistrate, who himself had a stake in the excavation and turned out to be a fraud. The great stone coffer and its caskets found by William Peppe at Piprahwa, went to the Indian Museum in Kolkata. After hearing about the discovery, King Chulalankara or Rama V of Thailand requested the Indian Government to share Buddha relics with them. Lord Curzon, a British viceroy of India then presented a portion of the Relic to Thailand. King Rama V sent Phraya Sukhum Naya-Winit as the Thai representative to bring in the Buddha Relic. Then Buddhists from Japan, Burma, Lanka, and Siberia also began to request for a share of the Buddha Relic. His Majesty distributed the Relic accordingly. The Buddha relics were installed at the Stupa of Phu-Khao-Thong, Wat Srakessa on the top of golden mount, Bangkok in 1899.

Even though Dr. Anton Führer's real motives were unmasked and he was found to be a fraud, Archeologists from Nepal, who were most unhappy with this discovery of Buddha relics and the assumption that the location of Kapilvastu was near about Piprahwa in India, took up the cue from Führer and refused to accept William Peppe's discovery as true relics of Buddha. They had one historic evidence, which disfavoured Piprahwa being the real Kpilavastu.

No part of ancient Indian history can be vouched as true, unless there is a confirmation of the same from travelogues of either of the two Chinese travellers, who had travelled to India in 4^th and 7^th centuries. Such is the importance that is attributed to the texts written by Fa-Hsien in A.D. 399 and Hiuen Tsang in A.D. 629. Out of these two, the earlier traveller Fa-Hsien describes Kapilavastu in these words. (Beal translation)

“ Less than a yojana to the east from this brought them to the city of Kapilavastu; but in it there was neither king nor people. All was mound and desolation. Of inhabitants there were only some monks and a score or two of families of the common people. At the spot where stood the old palace of King Suddhodhana there have been made images of the prince ( Goutam Buddha) and his mother; and at the places where that son appeared mounted on a white elephant when he entered his mother's womb, and where he turned his carriage round on seeing the sick man after he had gone out of the city by the eastern gate, topes (Stupa) have been erected. “

About Lumbini Fa Hsien has been very specific, when he mentions that;

“Fifty le east from the city was a garden, named Lumbini”

Indian archeologist K.M. Srivastava has estimated this distance of 50 Le as about 9 miles. It is therefore quite obvious that according to Fa-Hsien's account, Lumbini was about 9 miles east of Kapilavastu. Indian archeologists claim that Piprahwa is the true site of Kapilvastu, based on this observation of Fa Hsien.

This observation unfortunately does not match with the account of Xuen Zang, who travelled in that region about 230 years later. Xuen Zang has described all the places connected to Buddha's life story in Kapilvastu, extensively, Finally he says: (Beal Translation)

“ Outside the south gate of the city, on the left of the road, is a stupa ; it was here the royal prince contended with the Sakyas in athletic sports (arts) and pierced with his arrows the iron targets. From this 30 li south-east is a small stupa. Here there is a fountain, the waters of which are as clear as a

mirror. Common tradition has called this the arrow fountain (Sarakupa). To the north-east of the arrow well about 80 or 90 li, we come to the Lumbini garden.”

From Xuen Zang's description, it appears that he went about 30 Li to the southeast to reach the arrow well. From this well he went about 90 Li north-east to reach Lumbini. Some of the archeologists like Dr.Fuhrer (1897) and P.C. Mukherji (1899) suggested that a village called Tilaurakot, in the district of Taulihawa, in Nepal, could be site of Kapilavastu, because it matched the distances given by Xuen Zang. Tilarakot has a large ensemble of structures, which can be matched with Xuen Zang's description. This supported Tilaurkot’s case. No satisfactory solution could be found and the archeologists continued to have disagreement about the true Site for Kapilavastu. 

 

 After Indian Independence, the dispute continued. Nepal commenced a series of excavations in 1960's and found more structures around Tilaurakot, but failed to locate any relics. In 1962, Mrs. D. Mitra of the Arachaeological Survey of India led another expedition of exploration and excavation in the Nepalese tarai. During the course of her work, she excavated at Kodan and Tilaurakot, but could not find any evidence identifying Tilaurakot with Kapilavastu.

The Nepalese arguments are essentially based on two stone pillars supposed to be erected by Emperor Ashoka. At Niglihawa, a place about 8 KM northeast of Tilaurkot, a pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka was discovered. The lower part of this pillar bears an inscription testifying this site as the birth spot of the Kanakmuni Buddha. (Not Goutama Buddha, who is also called as Shakyamuni Buddha.) 

Another broken pillar was also discovered at Gotihawa about 5 km southwest of Tilaurkot. There is no inscription found on the pillar stub that is left. This site is supposed to be the birth place of Krakuchhanda Buddha.

Xuen Zang describes both these places along with the Stupa where Buddha's relics have been preserved in these words.

“ To the south of the city (Kapilavastu) going 50 li or so, we come to an old town where there is a stupa. This is the place where Krakuchchhanda Buddha was born. To the north-east of the town of Krakuchchhanda Buddha, going about 30 li, we come to an old capital (or, great city) in which there is a stupa. This is to commemorate the spot where, Kanakamuni Buddha was born. To the south-east of the city is a stupa where are that Tathagata's relics (of his bequeathed body} ; before it is erected a stone pillar about 30 feet high, on the top of which is carved a lion.48 By its side (or, on its side) is a record relating the circumstances of his Nirvana. It was erected by Asoka-raja.”

So we have a very tricky situation here. On one hand, we have near Tilaurkot, pillars that are supposed to be erected by Emperor Asoka to mark birth places of Kanakamuni Buddha and Krakuchchanda Buddha but no Buddha relics. On the other hand we have near Piprahwa, Buddha's relics but no Asoka pillars. Another point worth noting: Xuen Zang's description mentions about a pillar erected by Asoka-raja near the Stupa, where Buddha's relics have been preserved and which has never been found. However he does not mention having seen any Asoka pillars near Birth places of Kanakmuni and Krakuchchanda Buddha but only Stupas.

Nepal however continued to be absolutely adamant and decided on its own that Tilaurkot was Kapilavastu and even renamed the district of Taulihawa, in Nepal, as Kapilavastu. This is where things stood in 1971, when an officer of India's Archeological department, posted at Patna in Bihar state, decided to revisit the Stupa following a complaint forwarded to him from the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the poor upkeep of Piprahwa.

His name was Krishna Mohan Srivastava.

(To be continued)

28^th August 2012