Shravasti
Shravasti: Buddhist Pilgrimage site
It has been known that there are four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites that the Buddhist acknowledge. These sites are Lumbini , Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar. Lumbini of Nepal is the place where the Buddha was born. Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha achieves the enlightenment. In Sarnath, the Buddha delivered his first teaching to his five fellow followers. The Kushinagar is the place where the Buddha achieved the parinirvana. Since these places are associated with the Buddha's life, the followers later saw these places as pure and important sites. They began to visit these places and also began to venerate it. Other followers maintained and preserved these places.
Apart from these places, there are four other places also that the Buddhist values the most. These places are Shravasti, Rajgir, Sankassa, and Vaishali. Among these places, Rajgir is the place where the Buddha was attacked by the angry elephant. In this place, the Buddha demonstrated Abhaya mudra. Sankassa is the place where the Buddha returned to earth from Tusita heaven after preaching his teaching to his mother. Vaishali is the place where the Buddha preached his teaching for the last time before achieving the Parinirvana. Lastly, Shravasti is the place where the Buddha spent his major lifetime. Shravati is also best known as the Buddha showed his supernatural abilities while performing the miracles.
Since these places are also associated with the life event of Buddha, the followers value these places and wish to visit these Buddhist pilgrimage sites once in their lifetime. All these eight places are popularly known as the Eight Great Places or Attha-Mahathanani.
Shravasti was one of the six largest cities in India during the Buddha's period. In the present day, the Shravasti was located in the district with the same name in Uttar Pradesh near Balrampur. As mentioned in Mahabharata, Shravasti was named after the legendary king Shravasta. But it is contrasted with the viewpoint from the Buddhist tradition. It is believed that the city got its name Shravasti after the name of the Sage Savatthi.
Historical account of Shravasti
Shravasti was the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala. It was ruled by the king named Pasenadi. He was a disciple of Buddha. As Buddhaghosa mentions about Shravasti, the city had around fifty-seven thousand families during the period of the Buddha. He also believed that the total population of Shravasti to be around 180 million.
It is recorded that the Buddha had lived longer period of time in Shravasti. He was invited to visit Shravasti for the first time by Anathapindika. he was the chief Patron of the Buddha. Along with him, Visakha, Suppavasa, and Pasendadi were also became chief patrons.
The western scholar, Woodward states that of the four Nikayas (Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, and Anguttara Nikaya), 871 suttas were preached in Shravasti; 844 were preached in Jetavana monastery, 23 were preached in the Pubbarama, and 4 were preached in the suburbs of Shravasti.
It is also recorded that the Buddha spent twenty-five rainy seasons in Shravasti. Of 25 seasons, he spent 19 rainy seasons in the Jetavana monastery and 6 rainy seasons in the Pubbarama monastery.
Shravasti at present period
The place holds the ruins of the ancient Shravasti. There are three ancient structures - Angulimala's stupa, Anathapindika's stupa, and an old temple dedicated to a Jain Tirthankara. There is a stupa outside of Shravasti where the Twin Miracle took place. The site also houses the Jetavana monastery which is the main pilgrim destination for the Buddhist followers and tourists.
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