Thursday 15 August 2019



The Ashokan stupa in Birgunj town marking the spot the Buddha died. "Vishwa Hillock." This stupa is in Birgunj town and is called Vishwa hillock. Locals failed to realize it was a stupa so called it a hillock. According to Huen Tsang Ashoka constructed this to mark the spot where the Buddha died. It is close to Maisthan Chowk where the "Gah Hawa Mai" temple is where, according to Huen Tsang, the Buddha died. Just as Huen Tsang described, both the temple and this stupa (locally known as Vishwa hillock) are on the western banks of the Sirsiya river which Buddhists have mispronounced as Hirannavati. Huen Tsang calls the river "O-shi-to-fa-ti." When I shot this video I thought it was the relic dividing stupa where the Buddhas relics were divided between eight kings. So in the video I state it is the relic dividing stupa. Later I realized the relic dividing stupa was in Khutwajabdi village next to the stupa that marks the spot where the Buddha was cremated. So the viewer is requested to ignore my speech and simply view the stupa. There is a possibility it is the Mallas relic stupa.

Here's the link to the youtube video of "Vishwa Hillock."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAAJOSAl1z8

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