I as a part of a
small documentation team from Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (NNM) first visited Pārwati Hill in 2006.
The isolated hill is around 150 ft high; adjacent to the highway and a lush
green landscape is visible from a distance. During the time of the Buddha
(6th BCE), the base of this isolated hill was covered with
a forest, a beautiful jewel railing (manivedikā), and hence it was
called Vediya Parwat (Vediya hill)
(DA.iii.697). The sacred
cave on the south side of the hill is mentioned as Indraśailaguhā (also
Indasālaguhā) in Buddhist literature (D.ii.263, 264). The Chinese monk Xuanzang
(7th CE) told how Lord Sakka asked the Buddha about matters
relating to the forty-two doubts he had and how Lord Sakka recorded this in
stone (Watters 2004). Another Chinese monk Faxian (5th CE) also
makes mention of the tracings on the rock (Beal 2005: 111).
The place in spite of being associated with the Buddha was in a deplorable
condition. Majority of the villagers were ignorant about the sanctity of the
place and the hill was the most preferred place for open defecation. As a
result the hill and its surrounding became a filthy
place. Also, the place received very few international and
national Buddhist pilgrims each year and this was the prime reason why local
people were not very enthusiastic about the place.
On 22nd Oct,
2009, NNM was given the opportunity to share its documentation of Buddhist
sites in Bihar with the Chief Minister of Bihar and important state
officials. We shared with him how many of the sacred traces of the
Buddha including Pārwati and Jeṭhian were in very bad shape and needed
immediate attention. The Chief Minister took cognizance of this and Pārwati was
brought under protection. (Bihar Ancient
Monuments and ArchaeologicalSites, Remains And Art Treasures Act, 1976)
I am happy that the
collective efforts of the local community, NNM and Department of Youth, Art and
Culture (DACY), Government of Bihar, the Pārwati hill is now ready. A boundary
has been created around the Hill for its protection. A ramp has been made for
easy access to the top of the Hill and the sacred cave. A pilgrim facilitation
centre is under construction and will be ready soon.
On my visit to the
place on 20th June with Dr. Atul Verma, Director, Archaeology
(DACY), I noticed that the place was much cleaner than what it used to be
earlier. Hopefully, the place will receive lots of pilgrims and hence
livelihood opportunities are created for the local community.
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| View from the sacred cave, Indraśailaguhā . The approach to the cave is now safe. |
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| View from the sacred cave, Indraśailaguhā . The approach to the cave is now safe. |
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| Boundary and tourist facilitation center under construction. |
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| A ramp has been created that reaches to the top of the Hill. |
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| Aditya Verma, Dr Atul Verma and I at Pārwati Hill |
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Development work at Pārwati is now almost complete. Another
important village deeply associated with the Buddha that’s in queue for
development is Jeṭhian. A development plan for the site is already submitted
under the 13th Finance Commission and we hope the place will be
ready by 2016.
The development of sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites Pārwati and
Jeṭhian will complete my long cherished dream of the Buddha trail connecting Bodhgayā-Prāgbodhi-Jeṭhian-Rājgir-Pārwati.
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| A catch-up meeting at Jeṭhian |
Some old memories
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| Making presentation to Hon' Chief Minister, Shri Nitish Kumar Ji in 2009 |
|
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| With Hon' Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar ji at Pārwati Hill in 2010. |
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Many villages in Bihar are settled over ancient remains. Villagers
most of the times are ignorant about the importance of these mounds and hence
in recent years many of the mounds have been lost and some are under threat of
extinction. Apsaḍh is one such very important place associated with the Buddha
where the heritage is under threat. Buddhist literature mention about a brāhmin village Ambasaṇḍā that
was South of Pārwati hill and its villagers heartedly welcomed the
Buddha’s stay in this area during his cārikā (D.ii.263f). Over
the centuries the name Ambasaṇḍā got corrupted and it became Apsaḍh.
Though the entire Apsaḍh village is settled over the ancient
remains, there lies a very prominent mound in the centre of the village. The
entire mound is encroached and many huts and dwelling houses have come up over
the mound. The Government of Bihar with help of community members of the
village has created a boundary for its protection. Fencing and boundary is not the long-term solution. The real protection is possible only when the community of Bihar realizes the importance of this heritage and its need for preservation.
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| A boundary being created to protect the ancient mound. |
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| The mound is in the center of the village. |
Bibliography:
Beal, S.; 2005, Travels of Fah-hian and Sung-Yun, Buddhist Pilgrims from China to India,
Low Price Publications, Delhi: (Originally published London: Trubner and Co.:
1869).
Watters,
Thomas; 2004, On Yuan Chwang’s Travels in
India, (Edited by T. W. Rhys Davids and S.W. Bushell), Reprinted in LPP
2004, Low Price Publications, Delhi. (First published by Royal Asiatic Society,
London, 1904-05), ISBN: 81-7536-344-4.
Abbreviations of
Bibliography:
P.T.S.
Means published by the Pāli Text Society.
D. Digha Nikāya, 3 vols. (P.T.S.).
DA.
Sumangala Vilāsinī, 3 vols. (P.T.S.).
