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Mahaparinirvana Temple

Mahaparinirvana Temple- Relevance for UPSC Exam

  • GS Paper 1: Indian History- Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Indian History

 

Mahaparinirvana Temple in news

  • Recently, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, offered prayers at the Mahaprinirvana Stupa at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.

Indian History

 

Mahaparinirvana Temple- More on News

  • He also performed the shilanyaas ceremony for construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone.
  • Shri Modi also attended the 2566thBuddha Jayanti Celebrations at International Convention Center and Meditation Hall at Lumbini along with the Prime Minister of Nepal.

Mahaparinirvana Diwas: Death Anniversary of BR Ambedkar

 

Key Points about Mahaparinirvana Temple

  • About: Mahaparinirvana Temple is said to be theplace of death of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
    • Location: Mahaparinirvana Stupa is a Buddhist temple in Kushinagar, India.
  • Discovery: Alexander Cunningham conclusively proved that Gautama Buddha had died in the Kushinagar area.
  • Construction: Indian Government built the present Mahaparinirvana Temple in 1956.
    • Mahaparinirvana Temple was built as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinivana or 2500 BE (Buddhist Era).

महापरिनिर्वाण मंदिर

Features of Mahaparinirvana Temple

  • The Mahaparinirvana statue is 6.1 m long and rests on a stone couch. The monolithic statue of Buddha is built out of a single piece of red sandstone of Chunar.
  • Mahaparinirvana statue shows him reclining on his right side with his face facing the west.
    • It was considered the right posture for Mahaparinirvana.
  • There is an inscription on the platform stating that it was built by Swami Haribala, a disciple of the Buddha in 5th century AD.
    • Both the temple and the vihar were a gift of a grateful disciple to his august teacher.

 

Buddhist Monuments in Kushinagar

  • Attainment of Mahaparinirvana: Buddha ordained his last disciple and uttered his last words to the sangha and attained Parinirvana in 487 BCE.
    • After 45 years of missionary activities, the Buddha, severely stricken with illness, finally reached to Kushinagar where he died in 487 BCE.
  • Buddhist Monuments:
    • Maurayan Empire: In 260 BCE, Maurya king Ashoka reportedly visited Kushinagar where he built several caityas, stupas to honor the Buddha’s place of Nirvana.
    • Kushan Empire: Buddhist sites in Kushinagar were steadily expanded during the Kushan empire (c. 50-241 CE)
    • Gupta Age: Kushinagar witnessed a golden age during the Gupta empire(c. 320-647 CE). The Parinirvana Stupa was largely expanded and Parinirvana Temple was reconstructed along with a huge reclining Buddha statue.

Buddhism: Origin and Teachings of Buddha

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