Ven. Seck Kai Li Mahathero Pilgrimage to the Ancient Kuru

As per Xuanzang, the present-day Sugh in Haryana was intimately associated with the sublime wandering of the Buddha (i.e. the Buddhacarika). Xuanzang saw an Ashokan stupa to mark the visit of the Buddha in Sugh. Sugh and its surroundings consisting of sacred Buddhist sites of the Ashokan Pillar site of Topra Kalan, Ashokan Stupa of Chaneti and the monastic site of Adi Badri represent the ancient Uttara Kuru where the Buddha delivered some of the most profound teachings like Mahasatipatthana Sutta, Magandiya Sutta and Mahanidana Sutta.

Read more about the Ashokan Pillar Site of Topra Kalan

Read more about the Ashokan Stupa site of Sugh

Ven. Seck Kai Li Mahathero from the Awakening Hermitage Temple, Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia along with his 37 disciples visited the sacred sites of Kurukshetra, Topra Kalan, Sugh and Chaneti on 24th November 2023. We are grateful to Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra Development Board, Ms Valeri Hara, Community of Topra Kalan and Chaneti for making his visit memorable. We hope such visits of eminent masters from Buddhist Countries will help us facilitate making these Buddhacarika sites a Living Heritage as they used to be in the past.

Thanks to Siddhartha Gauri, Shri Rajendra Singh Rana ji, Shri Upendra Singhla ji, Shri Ashok Rosha ji, Shri Surendra Saini ji and Bharat Sharma for facilitating the Pilgrimage.

Guests at the University Guest House, Kurukshetra University.

Offering prayers at the Ashokan Relic Stupa, Kurukshetra University.

The pilgrimage group at the Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra.

Venerable Seck with the officials of Kurukshetra Development Board.

Venerable Seck with the hosts at the Topra Edict Park

Ven. Seck, his followers and the people of Topra under the Dhamma Wheel, Topra Edict Park.

Ven Seck offering prayers at the Chaneti Ashokan Stupa.

Ven Seck and his followers circumambulating the Chaneti Ashokan Stupa.

A group picture with the people of Chaneti, Chaneti Stupa.

The house of Late Surinder Singh Hara is settled over the remains of the Ashokan Stupa mentioned by Xuanzang,  According to Xuanzang, the Ashokan Stupa at Shrugna (Now Sugh) was to mark the place where the Buddha gave sermons.  Ms Valveri Hara, wife of the Late Surinder Hara welcomed  Venerable Seck and his followers. The Group offered prayers at the site and thanked  Ms Hara for their contributions to preserve the precious footsteps of the Buddha.

The group offered a painting as a token of gratitude to Ms Hara.

The group with Ms Hara at her residence.