TRAVEL: Poverty in the land of the Buddha

From Gorakhpur it is an hour’s drive on the highway to Kushinagar, supposedly named after the long Kush grass that grows in the region. Kushinagar was the place where Buddha is said to have died in approximately 483 BC achieving ‘Parinirvana’ or release from the cycle of rebirths.

Turning right from the highway, as we enter Kushinagar, the road is flanked on both sides by a number of temples. Like any other place in the Gangetic plains, it is hot and dusty. Poverty is evident with roadside beggars dotting the landscape. It was an irony that both poverty and disease that had moved young Prince Siddharth to seek a way out, persisted in the land.

The Parinirvana temple complex within which is the Parinirvana Stupa, was built by Emperor Ashoka in 200 -300 BCE almost two centuries after Buddha’s death. It was later enlarged by the Gupta Kings in the 6th century. The site surprisingly lay abandoned for centuries till it was excavated by the Archaeological Surveyor of India between 1876 and 1912.

It is situated in a large field carpeted with green grass, neatly laid out stone pathways, well maintained and peaceful, befitting the solemn nature of the place. The stupa itself is built on a raised platform and inside is an ancient 6.1 meter long statue of the reclining Buddha, which is believed to be 1500 years old. When we entered there were devotees from Sri Lanka seated in deep meditation around the statue.

A number of ancient relics surround this stupa. Within the complex is a museum which gives a complete audio-visual history of the place.

We drove nearly 1.5 kms on the Deoria highway to the Ramabhar Stupa which has been built at the spot where Buddha was cremated. It is a 50 feet high brick and earth mound in ruin and is an extremely venerated spot. It is surrounded by landscaped lawns and palm trees where devotees sat praying or circumnavigating.

UP State guest house and restaurant is close to the Parinirvana site where we had a tasty lunch. Returning to our car we noticed nearby the run down ‘Agyeya’ memorial park. Kushinagar was the birth place of the famous Hindi writer Sachidanand Hiranand Vatsayayan ‘Agyeya’.

Driving back, one couldn’t but help thinking why we can never keep our historical heritage spots neat, clean and shining. Kushinagar being of such an international importance, certainly had well maintained temples but the roads and surroundings left a lot to be desired.

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Early morning the next day, we drove to Lumbini through thick fog and barely visible roads. We passed by the huge Gorakhnath temple complex, before leaving the Gorakhpur city, for the Nepal border at Sonauli, a distance of nearly 100 kms. At the border, a permit necessitated a half an hour halt. The Nepalese government was spending money on sprucing up the infrastructure, but like on the Indian side the surrounding countryside was of poorly developed hamlets.

Lumbini Sanskritik – the Buddhist shrine complex is bisected by a mile long artificial waterbody with Maya Devi Temple- the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord’s birth at the southern end and World Peace Pagoda on the northern. On the two sides are a number of monasteries and temples of bespoke architecture constructed and maintained by countries from across the world, each uniquely painted and lacquered, surrounded by neatly manicured lawns.

We headed straight for Maya Devi Temple, the actual birthplace of Buddha. This is a simple rectangular structure of white walls with an Ashokan pillar and a sacred pool next to it. Inside the temple is a pit which is the actual site of the birth where Queen Maya Devi gave birth clinging to a tree. A small tablet depicts the event in bas relief. A long queue of pilgrims waiting behind deters one to linger inside.

By then it was late afternoon and having a long drive ahead we did not linger in Lumbini any further. Having crossed the border to the Indian side, we stopped at a Dhaba and once again the quality of food served surprised us. On the return drive, the sun was out shining brightly and so were our spirits having visited two most important sites of Buddhism.

We puzzled and reflected at the decline of a religion which had flourished for eight to nine centuries, often enjoyed royal patronage and spread to several other countries. The fact that the religion still thrives in other countries but not in the country of its origin puzzled us even more as we drove back.

Historians have cited multiple reasons. Corruption in the Buddhist Sangha, adoption of Sanskrit as a medium of propagation, division into various splinter groups like ‘Hinayana’, ‘Mahayana’, ‘Vajrayana’, adoption of Tantric rituals or external factors like reforms in Hinduism, adoption of Buddha as Vishnu’s ninth avatar and opposition from subsequent rulers and invaders etc. are some of the explanations offered.

That Buddhism did not propagate a belief in God may not have appealed to the masses and the religion became confined to urban centres while villages continued with traditional Hindu beliefs. Perhaps, Buddhism never really displaced Hindu beliefs amongst the masses but remained a preserve of those opting for a monastic life. Various invasions would have demolished the monasteries and the monastic order.

But Buddha is still venerated in the land where he chose to preach and die. The middle path espoused by Buddha remains the philosophy of life for the majority of Indians.

We wondered if the past had any lessons for the future. Would the coming centuries see Hinduism assimilate further? Religion after all is also dynamic in nature and the tenth avatar (Kalki) is yet to arrive.