Kaushambi:
Scene of Important events in the Buddha's career
Kaushambi, in Uttar Pradesh, was visited by Buddha in the 6th
and 9th years after his enlightenment. He delivered several
sermons here, elevating it to a center of learning for
Buddhists. Today one can see the ruins of an Ashokan Pillar, an
old fort and the Ghositaram Monastery. The archaeological
excavations here have yielded a large number of sculptures and
figurines, coins, punch-marked and cast coins and terra-cotta
sculptures which show the reverence the city was held in by the
devout, in times gone by. All these religious finds of
historical and archaeological importance can be viewed at the
Allahabad Museum.
However the area occupied by this district has a very glorious
past. In Ancient India, Hundreds of years before the christ
born, Kaushambi was the capital of Chedi-vatsa janapada, one of
the prominent janapadas into which the Indo-Aryan people were
divided. As some of these janapadas figure prominently in the
Brahmanas and Upanisads, it is not unlikely that the antiquity
of Kaushambi goes back to the period of the Brahamanas. The
Satapatha Brahamana mentions a person called Proti Kaushambeya,
a native of Kaushambi. This hoary antiquity of the city is
confirmed by the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the former
ascribing its foundation to Kusamba, the third son of the Chedi
King Uparica Vasu and the latter to Kusamba, the son of Kusa.
Location
District Kaushambi is situated in the west of Allahabad
district. In the North of the district Pratapgarh, in the south
Chitrakoot, In the east Allahabad, in the west Fatehpur
districts are located. The total geographical area of the
district is 2012.8 sq. km.
History
During Buddha's time Kaushambi was one of the six most important
and prosperous towns of India. It was a nerve center of ancient
Indian communications as the principal routes from north to
south and east to west met at the city. It was a terminus of
river traffic and an important emporium of Madhyadesa. The city
retained its importance at least up to the sixth century A.D.,as
it was visited by the Chinese pilgrims Fa-Hien and Yuan-Chwang.
The ruins of the well-known site of Kaushambi (25o20' 30"N.,
81o23'12"E.) are situated on the left blank of the river Yamuna
at a distance of 51.2 km from Allahabad in a south-westerly
direction. The remains of the ancient city viewed from a
distance give the impression of an imposing hillock, which, when
approached nearer, reveals itself as a chain of rolling mounds,
standing high above the surrounding plains, girdled on the south
by the Yamuna. The Vindhyan range across the horizon at not a
great distance beyond the river Yamuna provides the southern
frame of the Panorama.
Pilgrimage Attractions of Kaushambi
District Kaushambi is rich in historical places. History of all
times demistify the importance of the district. Kara,
Prabhasgiri and Kaushambi are the main historical centers. The
district is full of temples in which Sheetla temple of Kara Dham
and the Jain temple of Prabhosa are the main attraction.
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