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| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
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Kesaria Stupa - one of the tallest in India by Capt. D. A. Wickramasinghe
The Kesaria Stupa, reminiscent of the heritage, past glory and Lord Buddha's last days, is located in a sleepy little village in a remote corner of the Indian State of Bihar in East Champaran district 110 km North of Patna and situated 3 km South of Kesaria. Hiuen Tsang the great Chinese traveller of the 7th Century, provides a graphic description of the Stupa in his travel accounts. Alexander Cunningham was the first to investigate the place on this basis and confirm its Buddhist heritage. The Stupa is said to commemorate the place where Lord Buddha halted and handed over his Buddha Pathra to the people of Vaishali during his last journey to Kushinagar where he breathed his last. One of Lord Buddha's favourite abodes was the Kingdom of Vaishali ruled by the Lichchavi Kings, where Lord Buddha chanted the Rathana Sutta to ward off the evils that befell on the people of Vaishali, where an Asokan pillar has been erected to mark the spot during Emperor Asoka's visit, with the head of a lion on top facing the direction Lord Buddha set out on his last journey. Lord Buddha often addressed his monks and informed them that if they have not seen Gods before, to look at the Lichchavis for they resemble the Gods of Tavatimsa. Such was his love for Vaishali and its people. It was to the Lichchavis that Lord Buddha taught the seven principles of good governance (Satta-aparihaniya-Dhamma). The people of Vaishali who were emotionally attached to Buddha could not bear this news of his impending parinirvana and thousands of people followed the Buddha throwing dust on their heads and wailing as if some calamity had overtaken them. Looking back at the city which was the scene of many momentous events of his life. The Buddha said to Venerable Ananda "This is the last time I am beholding the city of Vaishali." In the surcharged atmosphere without caring the instructions of the Master whose every word they meticulously followed till then the people of Vaishali followed him. It was at Kesaria that Buddha firmly but politely requested them to turn back and as an expression of his determination handed over his Buddha Pathra to them and said, apart from this Buddha Pathra, I have nothing more to give you. In order to mark this emotional moment in the life of Buddha and to eternalise those emotions-soaked moments the Kesaria Stupa was erected, enshrining the Buddha Pathra. This is an invaluable heritage and pride of India. Today the height of Kesaria Stupa is 104 feet even in the dilapidated state, which is much less than its original height of 123 feet before the devastating earthquake of 1934 and it is still one foot higher than the world famous Borobodur Stupa situated in Java. It is believed that its original height must have been about 150 feet while that of Borobodur Stupa was just 138 feet. Interestingly both the Kesaria Stupa and the Borobodur Stupa have six floors. The width of the Borobodur Stupa and the diameter of the Kesaria Stupa are the same. Kesaria is referred to in the Mahapari-Nibbana Sutta as Bhoganagar. |
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