Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Veluvana as per the Pali commentaries and eyewitness accounts

1. Veluvana was so called because it was surrounded by bamboos (velu). It was surrounded by a wall, eighteen cubits high, holding a gateway and towers (SNA.ii.419; Sp.iii.576).


2. On one side of the main building of the Veluvana vihara was a building called Ambalatthika (MA.ii.635). There was also a senāsana, built for the use of monks practising austerities (MA.ii.932).



3. During the Buddha's lifetime, two thūpas were erected at the gate of Veluvana, one containing the relics of Aññā Kondañña (SA.i.219), and the other those of Moggallāna (J.v.127).



http://nalanda-insatiableinoffering.blogspot.com/2010/04/rajagaha.html

Xuanzang who visited the Veluvana in 7th century saw the stone foundation and remnants of brick walls that surrounded the Vihara. The main doors of the Vihara opened to the east and about 200 paces north was a lake named Karanda where the Buddha used to preach but it seized to exist after Buddha’s pariniravana.




The kalanda tank

No comments: