Site of Vulture Peak
Rajagriha was the capital of the Magadha Empire for centuries. According to the Purana (ancient Indian scriptures), before King Bimbisara made Rajagriha his capital in 6th BCE, more than 35 kings had already ruled from there. This valley of kings was surrounded by a Cyclopean Wall, an ancient fortification of dressed stones, running for 40-48 kilometres along the crest of the hills surrounding Rajagriha.
Since ancient times, Rajagriha has attracted sages, saints, teachers, preachers and spiritual leaders. One such sramana (ascetic) who has a deep-rooted association with Rajagriha is Gautama Buddha. Buddha started the spiritual and cultural mission from Rajagriha for the welfare and happiness of society. He spent many years at Rajagriha and spread his teachings there.
Through the centuries, Rajagriha was the heart of inspiration for millions of devotees of Buddha. I-tsing, a 7th CE Buddhist monk-scholar from China evidenced this in his writing. He wrote that, ‘My real hope and wish is to represent the Griddhakuta (vulture’s peak) in the small rooms of my friends, and to build a second Rajagriha City in the divine land of China.’
The stupas, chaityas and viharas in Rajagriha mentioned by Xuanzang are either buried under layers of earth or inhabited by people. This, however, does not diminish the sanctity of these places or the routes through which they can be reached. To restore these places and routes to their former sacredness, one of the steps can be to revive pilgrimage to these places and routes.
