Caves from the ruins of Kaushambi

Caves from the ruins of Kaushambi

Subject : History

Concept:

Pabhosha hill

• The Pabhosha hill is the solitary rocky island which is north of the Yamuna  river.
• It was said to have the Kaushambi  remains of an artificial cave created in the second century BCE.
• It  has an epigraph along with a stone bed and pillow which is similar to what one sees in the Bandhavgarh caves.

Bhita Caves

• Bhita is the historical site on Yamuna banks in Ghoorpur.
• It has Sujawan Dev temple on the rock island, a statue of Shringara Devi, Sita Rasoi and Sujawan Dev temple, the area is famous as an ancient Buddhist site  with figures of Gautam Buddha supposed to be a monastery.
• Bhita is an ancient Buddhist site of Kushan Era and is under ASI protection.
• The traders from Kausambi travelled towards the Vindhyan hills, would have encountered Bhita, another big city on the plains, a nodal route, one branch leading toward the hills.
• The ancient town planning with its streets and houses,excavated more than century ago.

History of Kaushambi

• Kaushambi was the capital of Chedi-vatsa janapada
• The Satapatha Brahamana mentions a person called Proti Kaushambeya, a native of Kaushambi.
• According to the Paramatthajyotika, the commentary on the Suttanipata, Kaushambi was the hermitage of the sage Kosamba, after whom it came to be known by that name.
• Buddhaghosa records that Kausambi was so named because in course of founding the city, a large number of Kusamba trees were uprooted.
• According to the Jain Vividha-tirthe-kalpa Kaushambi was so called because it abounded in Kusamba trees.
• The city of Kaushambi was important enough to be selected as the new capital of the scion of the Pandavas.
• During Buddha’s time Kaushambi was one of the six most important and prosperous towns of India. It is one of the most imposing fortified city sites of India, whose vast brick-built sprawl has historic associations that include the Buddha and Emperor Ashoka.
• The fortified city forms an irregular oblong on the plan. The city was provided with gates on three sides-east, west and north. Besides the bastions, gates and sub-gates, the city was encircled on three sides by a moat.At places the gates are provided with curtain-walls on the outside
• 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.