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The Anathapindika's Stupa is one of the major monuments in Shravasti.
The Anathapindika's Stupa was built by Anathapindika who was the
chief lay disciple of Buddha, and his name means "feeder of the
orphans or helpless". His original name was Sudatta.
Anathapindika was an extremely wealthy businessman and a generous
patron of the Buddha. He gave Jeta Park, the site of the Jetavana
Monastery having purchased it from Prince Jeta, the son of King
Prasenjeet. It is said he laid 1.8 million gold pieces in the grove,
to satisfy the prince. Anathapindika upon death entered Tusita
heaven, or the heaven of the Bodhisattvas and is revered as the
"foremost disciple in generosity" as well as character. |
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Originally a banker (setthi) of Shravasti who became famous because
of his unparalleled generosity to the Buddha; Sudatta's first
meeting with the Buddha was during the first year after Buddha's
Enlightenment, in Rajagaha now known as Rajgir.
Sudatta's wife was the sister of the setthi of Rajagaha, and when he
arrived he found the setthi preparing a grand meal for the Buddha
and his monks on such a large scale that he thought the feast was
either for a wedding or in honor of the king. But on learning the
truth he became eager to visit the Buddha, and did so very early the
next morning. On his way to Sitavana, a Yaksha Sivaka is said to
have encouraged and accompanied him. According to Buddhist myth,
when he reached there, spirits opened the gates for him and not Lord
Buddha, whom he found pacing up and down the room, on entering.
Anathapindika's Stupa served as Buddha's shelter during his stay at
Shravasti. Lord Buddha spent 24 monsoons in Shravasti. And when at
Shravasti, Anathapindika's Stupa is the place he preferred to stay
at. The remains of the Anathapindika's Stupa is to be seen still at
Shravasti. All we can see now is a plinth, a flight of stairs
leading up to the stupa, only about one fourth of which still
exists.
The old brick structure is reminiscent of the prowess achieved and
attained by the builders in India at that time. Built in the
traditional style of a stupa, gives one a fair idea of how massive
and elaborate the structure was in its prime.
Getting There
Shravasti is well connected to
the rest of Uttar Pradesh by roadways. The nearest mega terminus is at Gonda
that is 50 kilometers from the downtown Shravasti.
The nearest railhead is Balrampur that is 17 Kilometers from Shravasti. Nevertheless, Gonda railway
station that is also nearby is a better option when it comes to
connectivity. Gonda station is well connected to other cities in Uttar
Pradesh and India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Agra, Lucknow,
Bangalore and Ahmedabad etc.
Shravasti Airport has had
no scheduled services operating since 2013. The nearest airport from
Shravasti is Chaudhary Charan
Singh International Airport at Lucknow, about 170 kilometers from
Shravasti. The Airport is well connected to other cities in India such as
New Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Chennai and Bangalore.
From the Airport you can
hire cabs or take a train to reach Shravasti.
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