Kesaria Buddha stupa The world-famous Kesaria Buddha stupa i | UPSC GS1 History Art Culture
Kesaria Buddha stupa
The world-famous Kesaria Buddha stupa is waterlogged following floods in some parts of the district after heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of river Gandak.
It is located in the east Champaran district of Bihar.
The ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) has declared it a protected monument of national importance
The stupa is located about 110 km from the State capital Patna.
Kesaria Stupa has a circumference of almost 1,400 feet (430 m) and raises to a height of about 104 feet (32 m).
It is the tallest and the largest Buddhist stupa in the world.
The local call the stupa "devalaya" meaning "house of gods"
Exploration:
lts exploration started in the early 19th century after its discovery led by Colonel Mackenzie in 1814.
Later, it was excavated by General Cunningham in 1861-62 and in 1998 an ASI team led by archaeologist K.K. Muhammad had excavated the site properly.
History:
The first construction of the Stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE.
The original Kesariya stupa is believed to date back to the time of emperor Ashoka (circa 250 BCE) as the remains of an Ashokan pillar was discovered there.
The stupa dates to the Gupta Dynasty between 200 AD and 750 AD, and may have been associated with the 4th-century ruler Raja Chakravarti.
Faxian, a Chinese Buddhist monk, mentioned a stupa which was built over Buddha's alms bowl by Licchavis of Vaishali.
Buddhist monk, Hsuan-Tsang, also mentioned the stupa in his travels.
It is also believed that it was at this spot that he foretold his disciples that the time of his passing was near, and he would soon achieve nirvana
Stupa:
It is an important form of Buddhist architecture, though it predates Buddhism.
It is generally considered to be a sepulchral monument a place of burial or a receptacle for religious objects.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
It was established in the year 1861 under the Ministry of Culture
It is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Users can get detailed information related to excavations, conservations, museums, epigraphical studies, etc.
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