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| Diety of Kala Bhairava temple |
KALA BHAIRAVA TEMPLE
On 2 Jan 2011 Sunday, I have stayed back in Andhra Ashram to pray to the in the temples of Varanasi. In the afternoon our Bolero has started at 2PM. First we visited the nearby Kala Bhairava temple. Kasi Yatra will be treated as complete only after the visit to the Kshetra Palaka's temple that is the Kala Bhairava temple Darshan. It is in anarrow lane so, like the Kasi Viswanath temple, we have go by walk in the narrow lane for some distance. On the way back we got lost into another lane finally managed to come to the spot with the help of generous localite who has shown us the way.
SARANATH : BUDDHA FIRST DISCOURSE PLACE AND ASHOKAN PILLAR
On 2 Jan 2011 Sunday, I have stayed back in Andhra Ashram to pray to the in the temples of Varanasi. In the afternoon our Bolero has started at 2PM. First we visited the nearby Kala Bhairava temple. Kasi Yatra will be treated as complete only after the visit to the Kshetra Palaka's temple that is the Kala Bhairava temple Darshan. It is in anarrow lane so, like the Kasi Viswanath temple, we have go by walk in the narrow lane for some distance. On the way back we got lost into another lane finally managed to come to the spot with the help of generous localite who has shown us the way.
SARANATH : BUDDHA FIRST DISCOURSE PLACE AND ASHOKAN PILLAR
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| Mahabodhi soceity of Japan made this temple Mulagandha Kuti Vihar |
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| The Ashokan built stupa with the relics of Buddha |
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| Main diety Buddha in Saranath temple |
Then, we had gone to Saranath, the great Ashokan Stupa, (known as Dhamik stupa. One more Choukandi stupa with 8 faces is not see by us) The stupa contains the relics of Buddha. It is said that the great Ashokan Pillar belongs to Saranath. The temple at the site is wonderful. The biography of Ashoka The great is really fascinating. The link for reading the biography of Ashoka: http://www.biographicon.com/view/2m9pq
Briefly, father of Ashoka ie. King Bindusara had sevral wives and the mother of Ashoka is Dhamma the daughter of a Brahmin and she also has another younger son Vittashoka. Other Kshatriya Queens of Bindusara have sons and the eldest of them is Prince SUSIMA a natural heir to throne. Susima is afraid that Ashoka may be choosen for the throne as the younger Ashoka could supress the militalia in the region of Takshasila where Susima was named as the Governor. So, Susima has made continuously false alligations against Ashoka and the Prince Ashoka has been exciled for 2 years to Kalinga. During this period he has married a fisher woman by name Kaurwaki and had a son through Ashoka by name Tivala. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaurwaki. After the Kalinga war, it is Kaurwaki who braved to fight with Ashoka (her beloved) as there were no men on the soil of Kalinga. Ashoka took oath not to fight any war and embraced Buddhism. Kaurwaki became his second queen and followed Ashoka to capital Pataliputra. Ashoka already married a Kshatriya girl Asangimitra who remined in the capital Pataliputra (Patna)all the time.
After the 2 years exile, Bindusara (father of Ashoka) sent him to contain the upraising in Ujjain (near present day Bhopal). Ashoka being wounded in the war was nursed by a Vysya girl DEVI who has been brought up in the Buddist tradition and also by the Buddist monks. He has also been safe guarded so that the Ashoka's half brother Susima's camp should not harm him (Ashoka). The Sanchi Stupa was erected by Ashoka in the later part of his life. Devi had a son Mahindra and a daughter by name Sangamitra. After the Kalinga war both son Mahindra and daughter Sangamitra took the permission of father Ashoka and mother Devi and left for Cylon with the Pepal tree of Bodha Gaya and spend thier lives in presetn day cylon to preach Buddhism and non-violence.
LION CAPITAL and Ashoka's Dharma chakra : As per history, around Saranath Stupa the lion capital of Ashoka was erected but, was destryoyed or broken the pillar, the head has been housed in the Museum. I am unable to recall the place where exactly the broen pillar I have seen in the Saranath Stupa. Infact, when we go in a group, in a bus the fear of leaving the group and the time the bus fellows give us, the waste of time to purchases in nearby shops for the sake of getting some commission or some favours to the drivers and guide all combinely force us to leave the place without seeing the interesting aspects we are longing to see.
After the Saranath Temple, next stop is the Birla Shiva Mandir in the Banaras Hindu University campus
BIRLA MANDIR, DURGA MATA MANDIR AND TULASIDAS SITARAMA MANDIR
Briefly, father of Ashoka ie. King Bindusara had sevral wives and the mother of Ashoka is Dhamma the daughter of a Brahmin and she also has another younger son Vittashoka. Other Kshatriya Queens of Bindusara have sons and the eldest of them is Prince SUSIMA a natural heir to throne. Susima is afraid that Ashoka may be choosen for the throne as the younger Ashoka could supress the militalia in the region of Takshasila where Susima was named as the Governor. So, Susima has made continuously false alligations against Ashoka and the Prince Ashoka has been exciled for 2 years to Kalinga. During this period he has married a fisher woman by name Kaurwaki and had a son through Ashoka by name Tivala. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaurwaki. After the Kalinga war, it is Kaurwaki who braved to fight with Ashoka (her beloved) as there were no men on the soil of Kalinga. Ashoka took oath not to fight any war and embraced Buddhism. Kaurwaki became his second queen and followed Ashoka to capital Pataliputra. Ashoka already married a Kshatriya girl Asangimitra who remined in the capital Pataliputra (Patna)all the time.
After the 2 years exile, Bindusara (father of Ashoka) sent him to contain the upraising in Ujjain (near present day Bhopal). Ashoka being wounded in the war was nursed by a Vysya girl DEVI who has been brought up in the Buddist tradition and also by the Buddist monks. He has also been safe guarded so that the Ashoka's half brother Susima's camp should not harm him (Ashoka). The Sanchi Stupa was erected by Ashoka in the later part of his life. Devi had a son Mahindra and a daughter by name Sangamitra. After the Kalinga war both son Mahindra and daughter Sangamitra took the permission of father Ashoka and mother Devi and left for Cylon with the Pepal tree of Bodha Gaya and spend thier lives in presetn day cylon to preach Buddhism and non-violence.
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| Presently in the Saranath Museum Ashoka Pillar 2 mtrs ht. |
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| where Buddha gave his first discourse |
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Birla temple in BHU campus |
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| Durga temple |
BIRLA MANDIR, DURGA MATA MANDIR AND TULASIDAS SITARAMA MANDIR
Next we had been to Durga temple as the temple will close by 7 PM and nearby TULASIDAS Sita Rama Mandir and returned to Andhra ashram.
T
very impressive site
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