View source for Ganga: Patna - Hajipur – Vaishali

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[[Category: India |G]]
[[Category: Places |G]]

 
=Ganga=

''' ...and quiet flows the Ganga ''' 

''' Patna - Hajipur – Vaishali ''' 

'' India Harmony '' VOLUME - 1 : ISSUE - 6  SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2012 

By Vinita Gardner

Walking down the labyrinthine alleys of
Time, we find encapsulated in the annals of history, a melange of
marvellous cities, linked each to the other by the
tensile cords of a cultural homogeneity....

[[File: Takht Shri Patna Sahib.png| Takht Shri Patna Sahib|frame|500px]] 

A panoply of treasures to beguile the mind and
persuade it to explore Patna's rich heritage further,
this capital city of Bihar, Patna, in ancient times
known as Patliputra, is among the world's oldest
capital cities with an unbroken history of many
centuries as an imperial metropolis! A very fertile
arched stretch of land along the bank of the
Ganges, the history and heritage of modern day
Patna go back well over two millennia! Like
Delhi, Patna too had been the regal seat of
governance for successive kingdoms since ancient
times.

Known as Patliputra then, it played host to the
rulers of the Magadha Empire under the
Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Sunga, Gupta and
Pala dynasties and, during the Islamic period, was
the sustained seat of power for the Suri dynasty.

The modern city of Patna is situated on the
southern bank of the Ganges. The city also
straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun.
Approximately 35 km long and 16 km to 18 km
wide, the walled old area, known locally as Patna
City, is a major trading centre. It is also an
important business and luxury brand centre of
eastern India. In recent years, the economy of
Patna has seen sustained economic growth,
spurred on, in particular, by remarkable growth in
the fast moving Consumer Goods Industry, the
service sector, along with Green Revolution
businesses.

[[File: Padri ki Haveli.png| Padri ki Haveli|frame|500px]]

Believed to be the fifth fastest growing city in
India and blessed with a rich historical and
cultural heritage, the beautiful city of Patna,
sprawled graciously over an area of 3,202 sq.
kilometres, is fast becoming a major tourist
attraction! This ancient centre of pantheistic
significance, Patna offers travelers a rich panoply
of treasures in the multi-faith Buddhist, Hindu,
and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir,
Nalanda, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri nearby.

Patna is also a sacred city for Sikhs and houses the
Har Mandir Takht - one of the 4 sacred shrines of
the Sikhs built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to
commemorate the birth of Guru Gobind Singh
here in 1660 A.D. Situated in the heart of Patna
city, it has preserved the many precious Sikh
scriptures, relics and artifacts related to the sacred
Guru, housed in it, with utmost care. Maintaining
the sanctity of their relevance for the thousands of
Sikh devotees who sojourn here religiously to
revere the belongings of the tenth Sikh Guru at
Takht Sri Patna Sahib.

Padri ki Haveli where Mother Teresa got her
training, the beautiful Sher Shah Suri Masjid, built
in Afghan architectural style, the 212 years old
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, a magnificent one
man collection of rare Arabic and Persian
manuscripts,
Rajput and
Mughal
paintings and
Mahatma
Gandhi Setu,
Asia's longest
roadway bridge
juxtaposed homogenously with the
Modern Planetarium and Sanjay Gandhi
Biological Park, all vie for our attention!
As does the unique Darbhanga House with
its genesis rooted in royalty and their
munificence, its gift to posterity! Known
earlier as the NavLakha Palace of the
Darbhanga kings, it was constructed by Maharaja
Kameshwar Singh Bahadur who ruled from 1929
to 1947 when, after independence, the state was
merged into the Union of India. The royal family,
in consonance with their liberal policy of
patronage towards education, donated the college
to Patna University!

[[File: Darbhanga House now Patna University.png| Darbhanga House now Patna University|frame|500px]]
 
Dreaming by the banks of the generous Ganges,
the gracious edifice of Darbhanga House, has as
its chief feature a beautiful temple built on the
premises of the palace and dedicated to Goddess
Kali. The Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur
himself was a dedicated devotee of the Goddess
and religiously offered prayers here. The Kali
Mandir at Darbhanga House and the Patna Kali
Bari at Yarpur are the two most sought after Kali
temples in Patna, particularly during Dussehra!

Like the Darbhanga House, there are many other] 
palaces of the Darbhanga royal family that have
been donated towards the promotion of education
to various institutes. Some of these palaces are:

[[File: Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur.png| Maharaja Kameshwar Singh Bahadur|frame|500px]]

Nargona Palace- this palace is now a part of the
L.N.Mithila University.

Lakshmi Vilas Palace- this is the seat of education
for the Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University.

Bela Palace- The Postal Training College holds
classes in this palace.

Blessed by their divine deities and inspired by the
benevolence of their erstwhile monarchs, these
educational institutions flourish, offering
enlightenment to mankind and a tradition of royal
munificence!

A quaint mixture of sites of archaeological
relevance and contemporary leisure amenities
such as the Patna Museum with its assortment of
bronze and stone sculptures and a host of
terracotta figures belonging to the ancient Hindu
and Buddhist artists in India; libraries, boating
clubs, attractive shopping malls and cinemas, all
offer an amazing potpourri of attractions to
choose from in Patna, to cater to the whims of
every eager traveller, to satiate the search for a
satisfactory perspective to its historicity.

[[File: Elephants at the Sonepur Fair.png| Elephants at the Sonepur Fair|frame|500px]

Linked to the medieval city of Hajipur – a mere
10 kms from Patna - by the 6.75km long Mahatma
Gandhi Setu river bridge which forms an
important link between north and south Bihar,
Hajipur was originally known as Ukkacala in
ancient times. 

Founded by a King of Bengal named Haji Ilyas
Shah who ruled between 1345 A.D. to 1358 A.D.,
it was the first village to come after crossing the
River Ganges at Patna. The village of Hajipur
Mahatma Gandhi Sethu
gained significance as it was the venue of one of
the discourses given by Lord Buddha. Buddha
preached the Cula Goplalaka Sutta, a Middle
Length Discourse, here. An additional point of
interest was that a portion of the ashes of Ananda,
Lord Buddha's closest disciple, were enshrined in
the town.

[[File: Mathabar Singh Thapa.png| Mathabar Singh Thapa|frame|500px]] 

Headquarters of the important Vaishali district,
Hajipur, bound by the Narayani Gandak river in
the west and the holy Ganges in the south, has a
commendable network of rail, road and water
transport linking it effortlessly with other parts of
the district, State and country.

Famous for producing bananas, the plain terrain of
the town and its environs are aflush with a
bonanza of banana, litchi and mango plantations,
exhorting fruit lovers to sample their luscious
offerings! 

It is only fitting that we commence our voyage of
discovery in this city of religious significance,
with a visit to Shri Maha Prabhuji's Baithakji at
Helabazar, Hajipur.

Lord Krishna Temple (Aacharya Prabhuji Ki
Baithak) is one of the oldest temples of Hajipur
visited by innumerable vaishnavs every year.
There are 84 Mahaprabhuji Baithaks in India.
Commemorating the life and times of the
Acharya, who travelled tirelessly conducting
Shrimad Bhagwat seminars, debating with
scholars and heads of other religions and
establishing the ethics of “Shudhadvaita
Brahmavada” . Travelling by rail and road through
hazardous terrain sometimes, vaishnavs
religiously journey to pay obeisance and perform
“seva”.


Witness an effulgent
dawn at the famous
Sonepur Fair, in close
proximity to Hajipur
and a mere 25 kms
from Patna, the
capital of Bihar!
Easily accessible
from both places by
road, rail and air
(from Patna), one of
the largest animal fairs in Asia, conducted in an
ambience of boisterous bonhomie, it lasts for
about two weeks beginning with the full moon
night of Kartik (November).

Sonepur, situated strategically at the confluence of
the holy Ganges and Gandak rivers, was in
ancient times the site of camping by royal Rajahs
and aristocratic Nawabs, lending it a unique
historical significance! Chandragupta Maurya
used to buy elephants and horses across the river
Ganges! Then it attracted traders from several
places as distant as Central Asia! The site of the
present fair was originally at Hajipur but shifted to
Sonepur during the reign of the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb.

A holy dip at the confluence of the two rivers and
a visit to the Hariharnath temple here, is the
highlight for thousands of devotees on Kartika
Purnima day. As people jostle each other in a
spirit of joyous reverence and exuberant
bonhomie, savouring culinary delights from all
over India, the mind travels swiftly to those days
gone by, in the era of a different ruling faith....

This colourful fair cheerfully entertains visitors
with a melange of activities such as folk plays,
Nautanki (folk dances), games, jugglers and a
captivating circus! Selling everything from
elephants to birds, agricultural equipments to
vanity items, winter garments to wooden
furniture, the sprawling Mela ground with its
pulsating market, has the widest possible range of
cattle and commodities!

The large number of beautifully decorated
elephants, brought here to be sold mainly to
different Forest Departments, form a stunning and
impressive sight! Dispelling the solemnity of
purpose, however, is the overpowering cacophony
of sound from India's animal kingdom - like dogs,
camels, buffaloes, donkeys, ponies, monkeys,
chimps, Persian horses, sheep, rabbits, bears, cats,
and guinea pigs –ferried in eager anticipation to
the Sonepur Fair!

[[File: Emperor Akbar holds court.png| Emperor Akbar holds court|frame|500px]]

The visitors can stay in hotels at Hajipur or they
can hire luxury Swiss cottages erected on sand
dunes beside the river Gandak, for a novel living
experience! The tents and cottages are provided
by the enterprising State Tourism Department
only for the duration of the fair.

One can never have a surfeit of benign blessings,
be it from any manifestation of the plethora of
Gods that we worship! So it is at the Nepali
Mandir, west of Hajipur, at the confluence of the
Ganges and the Gandak, where this unique
Shaivite shrine is situated.

Constructed in the late medieval period (18th
century) by Mathabar Singh Thapa, one of the
army commanders of Nepal, the temple brings in
the refreshing pagoda-style architecture
of the Himalayan Kingdom, to the
plains of the Ganges! Built largely of
wood, another distinctive feature of this
temple is its fine wooden carving,
which depicts, among other things, an
abundance of amorous scenes! Both
in style as well as execution, drawing
predominantly from the aesthetics of the
Himalayan world of architecture, Nepali
Temple at Hajipur
remains quite singular
and inimitable!

Hajipur, which traces its
origin back to the time
of the famous Hindu
epic, Mahabharata,
presents a panorama of
verdant beauty to the
inveterate traveller, with
an abundance of plants
and trees thriving in all
their natural splendour, in its semi-tropical
monsoon climate.

[[File: Pawapuri Temples.png| Pawapuri Temples|frame|500px]]

Inside the fort built by it founder-king, Haji Ilyas
Shah, there is a mosque called Jami Masjid, a
plain building measuring 84.5 ft (25.8 m) long and
33.5 ft (10.2 m) broad. The mosque is crowned
by 3 domes, with the central dome being larger
than the others. An inscription over its stone
gateway records its erection in the year 1587 A.D.
during the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar by
Makhsus Shah. According to the Akbarnama,
Makhsus Shah was the brother of Said Khan, the
governor of the famous Bihar Sharif. The Jami
Masjid of Hajipur is one of the most remarkable
monuments belonging to the Mughal period.

And while the fortunes of “the Great Mughal”
himself, Akbar, touched the lives of the peoples of
Hajipur and Patna but fleetingly in the rain-soaked
summer of 1574 A.D., when he camped in close
proximity to these cities to crush the rebellion of
the Afghan chief Daud Khan and lift the siege on
Patna successfully, his munificent philosophy of
religious toleration lives on in the hearts of people
even today! In the eloquent words of Alfred Lord
Tennyson who said in “Akbar's Dream”:

Well, I dream'd
That stone by stone I rear'd a sacred fane
A temple,neither Pagod, Mosque, nor Church,
But loftier, simpler, always open-door'd
To every breath from heaven, and Truth and Peace
And Love and Justice came and dwelt therein”

But I digress…Before you move on to soak in the
wonders of Vaishali and revel in its many-
splendored visual gifts, there still remain a few
points of pilgrimage here, in Hajipur!

The Ramchaura Mandir which is on top of the
Ananda Stupa, the Hindu temple of Pataleshwara
Nath on the western outskirts of Hajipur and a
famous temple named Budi Maai, situated in
Ismailpur (Harauli) village of Hajipur, deserve
your obeisance; as does the Mahadev Math in
Rajason,, situated on the bank of river Ganges. It
is also a historical temple.

And, finally, Kaun Haara Ghat, which is
considered one of the main ghats of Ganga-
Gandak, where worshipping and cremation has
been performed for centuries! Based on an
ancient legend where Lord Vishnu had to
intervene in the famous fight of Gaja (elephant)
and Graah (crocodile), killing Graah to give him
instant salvation, and saving the life of his
devotee, Gajaraj, the depiction of fighting Gaja
Graah is an emblem for the city; it is prominently
shown on the Hajipur railway station's dome, and
other notable places.

Wondrous Vaishali, which derives its name from
King Vishal of the era of the memorable epic, the
Mahabharata, was an ancient metropolis and the
first world republic of the Licchavi state.
Established in the 6th century B.C., this capital
city, with its cornucopian splendor and panoply of
riches, played a pivotal role in the propagation of
two major world religions - namely Buddhism and
Jainism! Established before the birth of the
Buddha in 563 B.C., this splendid seminal
republic is considered to be the forerunner of later
republics found in ancient Greece! With an
ambience ripe for the flowering of faith and a
stronghold of the Nirgranthas (Jains), it was in the
Kshatriyakund district of Vaishali that the last and
24th Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira – the founder of
the Jain religion - was born in 599 B.C.to King
Siddharth and his beautiful queen, Trishila.
According to the Svetambaras, of the forty-two
rainy seasons of the latter part of Mahavira's
ascetic life, he spent twelve at Vaishali, fervently
preaching and propagating his faith!

To this date, the famous Vaishali Mahotsava,
celebrated with great fervour to mark the birthday
of Lord Mahavira, by both the Digambara and the
Shwetambara Jains, is held at Vaishali. Marked
by great pomp and pageantry, grand chariot
processions carrying Mahavir's image, are taken
out, rich ceremonies held in temples, religious
discourses held and alms generously distributed to
the poor and needy!

[[File: Nepali Temple at Hajipur.png| Nepali Temple at Hajipur|frame|500px]]

Vaiśālī state covered most of the Himalayan
Gangetic region of present-day Bihar state; and
the important city of Vaishali, where Gautama
Buddha preached his last sermon and announced
his Parinirvana, was well connected by roads to
Rajagriha in the south and to Kapilavastu and
Shravasti in the north.

Buddha first visited Vaishali in the fifth year of his
enlightenment and spent the entire monsoon
season there. The Buddhist Theravadin
Commentaries describe his inaugural visit in
detail. This prosperous capital of the Vajjian
Confederacy, flush with 7,707 beautiful pleasure
parks, lotus ponds, an abundance of royalty with
their elaborate retinues and the famous courtesan,
Amrapalli, flourished in unmitigated splendor
until……..it was suddenly struck by disaster!

The visit of a “Deva” such as Buddha, on Vajjian
territory, brought on a cleansing thunderstorm and
the evil spirits are
believed to have fled in
the face of his virtue!
That evening Buddha
himself gave a
discourse on the Ratna
Sutta to a massive
gathering in the
presence of several
Lichhavi princes and
84,000 people are believed to have been converted
at a stroke!

Numerous references to Vaishali are found in texts
pertaining to both Jainism and Buddhism, which
have preserved much information on Vaishali and
the other Maha Janapadas.

Apparently Buddha visited Vaishali several times
and it was during one such visit, upon his return
from Kapilavastu, that his foster mother,
Mahapajapati Gotami, followed Buddha with 500
other Sakya women and with the helpful
intervention of his main disciple, Ananda,
persuasively obtained permission for women to
enter the Buddhist Sangha by observing certain
parameters!

Ancient Bihar also saw the glorification of women
in matters of state affairs. It was here that
Amrapali (as she was later known), a courtesan of
Vaishali in the kingdom of the Lichhavis, attained
and wielded enormous power!

It is said that the Lord Buddha, during his visit to
Vaishali, firmly refused the royal invitation of
many princes, and chose to have dinner with the
exotic Amrapali instead! Such was the status of
women in the Bihari society several centuries ago!

A little-known, but historically and
archaeologically documented, event is worth
mentioning in this context. After his visit with
Amrapali, Lord Buddha continued with his
journey towards Kushinagar. Travelling along the
eastern bank of the river Gandak, accompanied by
his band of devoted Licchavis, at a spot known as
Kesariya, in present East Champaran district, Lord
Buddha took rest for the night. It was here that he
chose to announce to his disciples the news of his
impending nirvana (meaning, death); and
implored them to return to Vaishali. The wildly
lamenting Licchavis would have none of that and
steadfastly refused to leave. Whereupon, Lord
Buddha, by creating a 3,000 feet wide stream
between them and himself compelled them to
leave, leaving his alms-bowl as a special souvenir
with them!

Pause awhile at the Abhishek Pushkarini, the
coronation tank. The sacred waters of the tank
anointed the elected representatives of Vaishali.
Next to it stands the Japanese temple and the
Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda) built
by the Nipponzan Myohoji sect of Japan.

A small part of the Buddha's relics found in
Vaishali have been enshrined in the foundation
and in the chhatra of the Stupa. Near the
coronation tank, in Stupa 1 or the Relic Stupa, the
Lichchavis reverentially encased one of the eight
portions of the Master's relics, which they
received after the Mahaparinirvana.

Travel back in time to the Kutagarasala Vihara -
the monastery where Buddha most frequently
stayed while visiting Vaiśālī! It is located 3
kilometres from the relic Stupa, and on its ground
can be found the Ānanda Stupa, with an Asokan
pillar in very good condition (perhaps the only
complete Asokan pillar left standing), and an
ancient pond, proof of its antiquity!

Fittingly enough, the second great Council of
Buddhists was held at Vaishali after the Buddha's
death to disseminate and lay down the rules of
conduct, for the followers of this divine faith.

The several important monasteries and shrines
found in the historic city of Vaishali were
described elaborately by the Chinese pilgrim
FaXian as far back as the 5th century B.C and
bear eloquent testimony to its significance as a
Buddhist Centre!! The proposed resurrection of
the ancient University of Nalanda (223 kms
away), known as an architectural masterpiece with
temples and parks, which instructed students in
medicine, mathematics, astronomy and politics, is
“to create a world-class institution bringing in the
best of talent from all countries", said Nobel
Laureate Amartya Sen, head of the project's
"mentor" group. According to him it will have
“schools like Buddhist studies, philosophy and
comparative literature, historical studies and
ecology and environmental studies.”

Symbolizing for some ”the icon of Asian
renaissance” and with collaborations with other
famous universities like the Al-Azhar University
of Egypt, Oxford and Cambridge Universities in
Britain and Harvard University in the U.S., this
colossus of learning and culture, spread over 500
acres in proximity to the original huge red-brick
ruins, is bound to promote harmony among
peoples and greater global understanding!
Weaving through the warp and weft of history
with an effortless grace, knitting with dexterity
the dreams and destinies of its disparate peoples
into a cohesive whole, an enduring and colourful
tapestry of cultures and civilizations, quiet flows
the Ganga......and the Ganga flows on.....the
universal “mother”.....nourishing her cosmic
children towards a pulsating posterity.......!

=Wastes from drains polluting the Ganga=
[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com//Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Waste-from-40000-km-of-drains-choking-holy-04012015016053 ''The Times of India'']

Subhash Mishra

Jan 04 2015

''' Waste from 40,000 km of drains are choking the holy river '''

More than 40,00km long drains and subsidiaries stretched over 5,000 km carrying industrial and urban waste of dangerous level while directly falling into the 1,300-km long stretch of the Ganga are choking the holy river and stalling all efforts to rejuvenate it.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's `Namami Ganga' project, aimed at reviving the river, would remain a non-starter if the root causes of rising pollution are not addressed and innovative methods not deployed, states a report (in possession of TOI) prepared first time by the UP's irrigation department.
Among the rivers merging into the Ganga, Ram Ganga, Kali Nadi Poorva, Kali Nadi Pashchim, Hindon, Gomti, Sai and Yamuna have a very high level of biological oxygen demand (the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by biological organisms in a water body to break down organic material).

UP irrigation minister Shivpal Yadav presented the report to Union minister for water resources Uma Bharati recently . The report will aid both the Centre and state to redraw their macro as well as micro strategy for rejuvenation of the Ganga, said a source in the state irrigation department.

Principal secretary irrigation Deepak Singhal told TOI that the report has been in principle accepted by the Central government. The report states that unless the root causes of the pollution in the Ganga are not addressed, mere beautification of the riverfront in Varanasi will not help, he added. “You cant treat the lung cancer by going to a dentist,“ Singhal said.

Singhal said the Centre has agreed with irrigation department's action plan which includes trapping drains by developing master drains, using treated water and fertiliser produced from it for agriculture purposes and a separate plan for every river falling into the Ganga.

BOD centric approach may not be useful, Singhal said, adding that pollution index creation and augmentation of water and change in irrigation methods for farm purposes is the thrust of the report .