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Places to Visit in Varanasi » Kaushambi
Kaushambi Kaushambi has been a great center of Buddhist culture and heritage. In ancient times Kaushambi was an important seat of Buddhist learning and the remains of various monuments bear testimony to this fact. The capital of the ancient Matsya kingdom was in Kaushambi during the time of Lord Buddha. It is about 57 km away from modern Allahabad. In ancient times it was known as Kosam. Kaushambi, which is reminiscent of Buddhist culture, is now into ruins but lot can be read into the great past of the place. The 6 km expanse of Parikshit's fort is now extinct. In the 4 BC, the great Mauryan emperor, Ashoka, had built two pillars in Kaushambi. One of these pillars now is in Allahabad fort and the other is in a dilapidated condition in Kaushambi. In Buddhist scriptures and ancient Indian literature we find mention of a Buddhist Vihara (Ghositaram Vihara) but unfortunately no trace of the Ghositaram Vihara is present now. Introduction of Kaushambi Kaushambi has a special religious attachment with Buddhists followers. Buddha came to this city in his 6th and 9th year after attaining enlightenment. He delivered several sermons to his followers here. Kaushambi has been in existence much before than times of Buddha. In Ancient India, hundreds of years before Christ born, Kaushambi was the capital of Chedi-vatsa janapada, one of the prominent janapadas into which the Indo-Aryan people were divided. A major city in India, Kaushambi acquired special attention from the rulers of India. As mentioned in Mahabharat, Kaushambi became the capital of Kuru dynasty. During Buddha’s time Kaushambi was one of the six most important and prosperous towns of India. 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. Gradually the city lost its charm and wealth due to hostile attitude of the new rulers, who shifted the capital city to other new places. An Archaeological Site Currently the old city lies in ruins, with the old structures and monuments lying all across the city. Kaushambi has reduced to a small district with the charm of old glory and wealth. The ruins of the well-known sites of Kaushambi are situated on the left bank of the river Yamuna, 51 km from Allahabad. Old Stupas, forts and pillars of Buddha era are the main attractions of the city. 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. Getting There By Air Nearest airport are Allahabad at 50 Km, Varanasi at 150 Km and Kanpur at 160 Km. From these airports one can get taxis and buses to move to Kaushambi. By Rail Allahabad railway station (55 Km) is the nearest major railway station near Kaushambi. Bharvari which is 40 kms away is connected to the cities of Uttar Pradesh via rail network. By Road The road network connects Allahabad very well to the nearby and major cities, as it falls on NH 2 and 27. From the major cities of Uttar Pradesh one can get Bus and Taxis for a tour to Kaushambi.
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