Gopala or Huen Tsangs 'Lan-mo'. This place is important in Buddhist history because it has one of the original Buddha relic stupas of the seven kings who divided the Buddhas relics among'st themselves. This was the only original stupa which King Ashoka couldn't open and confiscate the relics. Why did Ashoka fail to confiscate the relics? For the answer read my report to the Archaeological Survey Of India pertaining to this report.
(4)Lan-mo/Gopala: (Si-Yu-Ki page 25-29) Here again Huen Tsangs
accuracy of mileage and bearings will surprise the reader. From Rudhauli Huen
Tsang goes 300 Li’s east or 84 kilometers east as the crow flies to Lan-mo.
Eighty four kilometers to the east of Ruddhauli is Gopala village which sounds
similar to Lan-mo. Samuel Beal has wrongly translated Huen Tsangs Lan-mo as
Ramagrama. I fail to see the verbal semblance between Lan-mo and Ramagrama.
Neither does Huen tsangs bearings and mileage go anywhere near Ramagramma.
Gopala has the so called elusive Ramagrama Buddha relic stupa which historians
are looking for. I will quote the first line of the last para in page 25. “From
this going east about 300 li or so, across a wild and deserted jungle we arrive
at the kingdom of Lan-mo.” Approximately 300 Chinese Li is equivalent to 84
kilometers. Heun Tsang further states in page 26 first para. “The kingdom of
Lan-mo has been waste and desolate for many years. There is no account of its
extent. The towns are decayed and the inhabitants few.” This suits the
topography of the land which has very few villages. He continues to say, to the
south east of the old capitol there is a brick stupa. Formerly after the
nirvana of Tathagat, a previous king of this country having got a share of the
‘sariras’ (relics) of his body, returned home with them, and to honour these
relics he built this stupa.” On visiting the spot I realized by south east Huen
Tsang meant four kilometers slightly south east. Huen Tsang goes on to further
state that the stupa was next to a lake from which a dragon occasionally came
out, walked around the stupa, and prayed to it. The said stupa is south of
Gopala in a village called ‘Puraina Khandi Chaura,’ near a mosque by the name
of ‘Chaman Nuri Karbala.’ As Huen Tsang described there is a lake to the west
of the stupa by the name of ‘Belawa Tikar.’ Huen Tsang goes on to narrate the
story of how King Ashoka comes to open the stupa and take away most of the
relics but is stopped by a Naga who is the Naga King of the lake. He is the
lakes caretaker. The latter takes Ashoka to his house and tells him that if he
has come to pay respects to the stupa and the relics, he is free to do so. But
he tells Ashoka before vandalizing the stupa by digging it and confiscating the
relics he should first pay a visit to the place and see it for himself. Ashoka
agrees and goes to the Nagas house and gets scared. He returns without opening
the stupa.
Here I will have
to give a special note as this is something new which historians do not know.
Why Ashoka returned without opening the stupa? It is very interesting to
realize that King Ashoka got scared and left the stupa untouched. Basically it
is necessary to see the stupa to understand why Ashoka got scared. When I
visited the place I realized Ashoka wasn’t scared. A better word was overawed.
First, I will quote Huen Tsang on page 27 first para sixth line. “The Brahmin
said, ‘I am the Naga king of this lake. As I have heard the great king desires
to build a superior field of merit. I have ventured to ask you to visit my
abode.” The reader will realize the Brahmins statement “desires to build a
superior field of merit,” clearly means that Ashoka wanted to make a superior
stupa than the old relic stupa in Gopala. The dragon King then says, “I have
ventured to ask you to visit my abode.” By ‘abode’ Huen Tsang means the dragon
King first invites Ashoka to see the stupa which is near where he lives. That
means the dragon king met Ashoka somewhere else at a distance from the stupa.
He must have been camping there. West of Gopala is Maharajgunj town. This town
must have got its name because Ashoka may have camped here. Ashoka goes to the
Dragon kings abode and sees the stupa and is stunned at what he sees. Again in page 27 first para seventeenth line
Huen Tsang writes, “Ashoka having seen the character of the place was filled
with fear and said, All these appliances seen for worship are unlike anything
seen amongst men.” Basically Ashoka is stunned at what he sees. So was I when I
reached the place and saw the entire complex. It is approximately four
kilometers from Gopala to the said stupa. The geography of the area is unique.
My car was literally going up and down mud mounds. I mean the road was
literally going up and down mud mounds. I realized they were all stupas. The
locals don’t know what a stupa is and wonder at the unique phenomenon.
Basically to make these stupas 160 acres of lakes were dug up and the mud used
to make the stupas. So it is a four kilometer stretch of stupas about one
thousand meters in breath. The people wonder at all this mud and a jungle has
grown on the entire structure. It seems the road contractor, to save money in
mud filling, constructed the road straight over the stupas so I found myself
bouncing in my car up and down the stupas. Each of the stupas are huge. It is a
unique site. Unfortunately the UP Government doesn’t know about it so mud
quarrying is going on legally. In fact the state Government has leased all the
plots/stupas to quarriers to sell the mud. So stupas are being dug up and the
mud sold. This must be stopped. Quite a few stupas have already vanished. The
Buddhist world is lucky that the road contractor built the road on the stupas
themselves. Because of this road these stupas are left untouched. Its illegal
to dig up the road. It is a unique historical site unparalleled in the world.
It has to be saved. This is why King Ashoka was overawed. He was going to
confiscate the relics and make many stupas. The dragon king had already done
that. He had made four kilometers of stupas in one line. Today the road passes
over them. Quarrying must be stopped and the road must be removed. This is
truly a unique site.
Heres the link to the youtube video.
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