Jaulian are the ruins of an ancient buddhistic monastery near Taxila, Punjab
The Ruins
The ruins at Jaulian date from the fifth century CE and consist of two main parts. These are 1) the main stupa and 2) the monastery and university of Jaulian. The ruins are situated on a mountain top. The form and building of the university at Jaulian is similar to that of Mohra Muradu, about 1 kilometre away.
Main Stupa
The main stupa at Jaulian is badly damaged. It is surrounded by 21 votive stupas. Some experts think that a few of the votive stupas are actually tombs of revered monks. The statues at the stupas are mostly preserved. A number of these have been removed for exhibitions at museums.
The original structure of the building of the Stupa along with the plaster is preserved at some places.
A statue of buddha with a hole in the navel is an odd artifact. It is called the "healing buddha". Pilgrims would put their fings in the navel hole and pray for the ailment of the patients. The inscription preserved under the statue shows that it was gifted by a friar "Budhamitra Dharmanandin".[1] This inscription and a couple of others at this site show that the script was still used at Taxila in the fifth century CE.
The Monastery
The monastery contained a number of rooms for the students in addition to a large pool for washings. There are 28 such rooms. The monastery consisted of a second floor with another 28 rooms. Stairs of stone to the upper floor are still preserved. Statues of Buddha are present in front of some of the rooms.
Each room had a window for supply of fresh air and as a source of some light and a niche to hold the lamp of the student. The windows are small at the outer end of the wall and become enlarged at the inner end to keep wild animals out. The rooms were plastered and decorated with painting. The outer wall of the monastery is well preserved, which is very smooth and straight.
The monastery included a kitchen. A stone for grinding spices for the food is well preserved as well as two stone mills that were used to grind different types of grains. A hole in one of the brickstones of the kitchen wall was used for placing large spoons.
The monastery was burnt in 455 CE by the White Huns and thus destroyed.
References
^ Marshall, John. Taxila: An Illustrated Account of Archaeological Excavations Carried Out at Taxila Under the Orders of the Government of India between the years 1913 and 1934. p. 372.
Sunday 31 July 2011
Thursday 21 July 2011
The ruins of Taxila contain buildings and buddhist stupas located over a large area. The main ruins of Taxila are divided into three major cities, each belonging to a distinct time period.
The oldest of these is the Hathial area, which yielded surface shards similar to burnished red wares (or 'soapy red wares') recovered from early phases at Charsadda, and may date between the 6th century BCE and the late 2nd millennium BCE. Bhir Mound dates from the 6th century BCE. The second city of Taxila is located at Sirkap and was built by Greco-Bactrian kings in the 2nd century BCE. The third and last city of Taxila is at Sirsukh and relates to the Kushan kings.
In addition to the ruins of the city, a number of buddhist monasteries and stupas also belong to the Taxila area. Some of the important ruins of this category include the ruins of the stupa at Dharmarajika, the monastery at Jaulian, the monastery at Mohra Muradu in addition to a number of stupas.
Taxila
Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.
Taxila is situated about 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road. Taxila lies 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level.
The city dates back to the Gandhara period and contains the ruins of the Gandhāran city of Takṣaśilā which was an important Hindu and Buddhist centre. Takṣaśilā, is reputed to derive its name from Takṣa, who was the great grandson of Bharata, the brother of Rama.
Historically, Takṣaśilā lay at the crossroads of three major trade routes:
The uttarāpatha, the northern road—the later Grand Trunk or GT Road—the royal road which connected Gandhara in the west to the kingdom of Magadha and its capital Pāṭaliputra in the valley of the Ganges in the east.
The northwestern route through Bactria, Kāpiśa, and Puṣkalāvatī.
The Sindu (English: Indus river) route from Kashmir and Central Asia, via Śri nagara, Mansehra, and the Haripur valley[2] across the Khunjerab pass to the Silk Road in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south. The Khunjerab passes between Kashmir and Xinjiang—the current Karakoram highway—and was traversed in antiquity.
In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site with multiple locations.[3] Recently it has been ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian,[4] which described it thus:“ This is the region from where Buddhism travelled to the far east - and Persians, Greeks and Hindus all subsequently left their mark. You can watch the sun set from the remains of a Buddhist monastery or wander through the streets of an excavatedPersian city in the knowledge that there are two older ones buried below."
Taxila is situated about 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road. Taxila lies 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level.
The city dates back to the Gandhara period and contains the ruins of the Gandhāran city of Takṣaśilā which was an important Hindu and Buddhist centre. Takṣaśilā, is reputed to derive its name from Takṣa, who was the great grandson of Bharata, the brother of Rama.
Historically, Takṣaśilā lay at the crossroads of three major trade routes:
The uttarāpatha, the northern road—the later Grand Trunk or GT Road—the royal road which connected Gandhara in the west to the kingdom of Magadha and its capital Pāṭaliputra in the valley of the Ganges in the east.
The northwestern route through Bactria, Kāpiśa, and Puṣkalāvatī.
The Sindu (English: Indus river) route from Kashmir and Central Asia, via Śri nagara, Mansehra, and the Haripur valley[2] across the Khunjerab pass to the Silk Road in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south. The Khunjerab passes between Kashmir and Xinjiang—the current Karakoram highway—and was traversed in antiquity.
In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site with multiple locations.[3] Recently it has been ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian,[4] which described it thus:“ This is the region from where Buddhism travelled to the far east - and Persians, Greeks and Hindus all subsequently left their mark. You can watch the sun set from the remains of a Buddhist monastery or wander through the streets of an excavatedPersian city in the knowledge that there are two older ones buried below."
Taxila
Taxila is an ancient city in Pakistan, just 30kms north of Islamabad.
Taxila is one of the most important archaeological sites in Pakistan and the world. 18 of its sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city dates back to the Ancient Gandhāran city of Takshashila (also Takkasila or Taxila) an important Vedic/Hindu and Buddhist center of learning from the 6th century BC to the 5th century CE. This is the region from where Buddhism travelled to the far east - and Persians, Greeks under Alexander the Great, Central Asians and Hindus all subsequently left their mark. You can watch the sun set from the remains of a Buddhist monastery or wander through the streets of an excavated Persian city in the knowledge that there are two older ones buried below. Today, Taxila is the center of Pakistan's engineering industry.
Historically, Takṣaśilā lay at the crossroads of three major trade routes:
1.The uttarāpatha, the northern road—the later Grand Trunk Road or GT Road—the royal road which connected Gandhara in the west to the kingdom of Magadha and its capital Pāṭaliputra in the valley of the Ganges in the east.
2.The northwestern route through Bactria, Kāpiśa, and Puṣkalāvatī.
3.The Sindu (English: Indus River) route from Kashmir and Central Asia, via Srinagar, Mansehra, and the Haripur valley across the Khunjerab pass to the Silk Road in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south. The Khunjerab passes between Kashmir and Xinjiang—the current Karakoram highway—and was traversed in antiquity.
Taxila is home to a vast network of ancient ruins, connected by road. Unfortunately, the museum there is quite small and without much information aside from a brief timeline. You should read about the site before you go, as the museum won't tell you very much. There are no dioramas or reconstructions of what the sites looked like, so you'll need to use your imagination.
The main ruins of Taxila are divided into three major cities, each belonging to a distinct time period. The oldest of these is the Hathial area, which yielded surface shards similar to burnished red wares (or 'soapy red wares') recovered from early phases at Charsadda, and may date between the 6th century BCE and the late 2nd millennium BCE. Bhir Mound dates from the 6th century BCE. The second city of Taxila is located at Sirkap and was built by Greco-Bactrian kings in the 2nd century BCE. The third and last city of Taxila is at Sirsukh and relates to the Kushan kings.
In addition to the ruins of the city, a number of buddhist monasteries and stupas also belong to the Taxila area. Some of the important ruins of this category include the ruins of the stupa at Dharmarajika, built by Maurya emperor Ashoka, where according to local custom bone and tooth fragments from the Buddha were buried, and where a Greek-style statue of Aphrodite was unearthed. There is also the monastery at Jaulian, the monastery at Mohra Muradu in addition to a number of stupas.
Taxila is one of the most important archaeological sites in Pakistan and the world. 18 of its sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city dates back to the Ancient Gandhāran city of Takshashila (also Takkasila or Taxila) an important Vedic/Hindu and Buddhist center of learning from the 6th century BC to the 5th century CE. This is the region from where Buddhism travelled to the far east - and Persians, Greeks under Alexander the Great, Central Asians and Hindus all subsequently left their mark. You can watch the sun set from the remains of a Buddhist monastery or wander through the streets of an excavated Persian city in the knowledge that there are two older ones buried below. Today, Taxila is the center of Pakistan's engineering industry.
Historically, Takṣaśilā lay at the crossroads of three major trade routes:
1.The uttarāpatha, the northern road—the later Grand Trunk Road or GT Road—the royal road which connected Gandhara in the west to the kingdom of Magadha and its capital Pāṭaliputra in the valley of the Ganges in the east.
2.The northwestern route through Bactria, Kāpiśa, and Puṣkalāvatī.
3.The Sindu (English: Indus River) route from Kashmir and Central Asia, via Srinagar, Mansehra, and the Haripur valley across the Khunjerab pass to the Silk Road in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south. The Khunjerab passes between Kashmir and Xinjiang—the current Karakoram highway—and was traversed in antiquity.
Taxila is home to a vast network of ancient ruins, connected by road. Unfortunately, the museum there is quite small and without much information aside from a brief timeline. You should read about the site before you go, as the museum won't tell you very much. There are no dioramas or reconstructions of what the sites looked like, so you'll need to use your imagination.
The main ruins of Taxila are divided into three major cities, each belonging to a distinct time period. The oldest of these is the Hathial area, which yielded surface shards similar to burnished red wares (or 'soapy red wares') recovered from early phases at Charsadda, and may date between the 6th century BCE and the late 2nd millennium BCE. Bhir Mound dates from the 6th century BCE. The second city of Taxila is located at Sirkap and was built by Greco-Bactrian kings in the 2nd century BCE. The third and last city of Taxila is at Sirsukh and relates to the Kushan kings.
In addition to the ruins of the city, a number of buddhist monasteries and stupas also belong to the Taxila area. Some of the important ruins of this category include the ruins of the stupa at Dharmarajika, built by Maurya emperor Ashoka, where according to local custom bone and tooth fragments from the Buddha were buried, and where a Greek-style statue of Aphrodite was unearthed. There is also the monastery at Jaulian, the monastery at Mohra Muradu in addition to a number of stupas.
Bhir
The oldest part of Taxila is Bhir (satellite photo), which consists of several building phases:
the oldest stratum, usually dated to the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, although literary sources suggest that the city is a bit older;
the fourth century, in which raja Ambhi entertained Alexander the Great in 326;
the stratum of the Mauryan empire, third century (the picture shows a part of the recently excavated water system);
and the uppermost stratum, which is everything after the Mauryan period.
the oldest stratum, usually dated to the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, although literary sources suggest that the city is a bit older;
the fourth century, in which raja Ambhi entertained Alexander the Great in 326;
the stratum of the Mauryan empire, third century (the picture shows a part of the recently excavated water system);
and the uppermost stratum, which is everything after the Mauryan period.
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Taxila
This photo shows the Apsidal Temple again, seen from the outside. After the earthquake that destroyed the city in c. 30 CE, the Buddhist shrine was built in a spacious courtyard. The round part was probably in use for a small stupa, but no traces of it remain. Some carvings were probably done by an artist from Greece.
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