Kṛmilā was a Buddhist religious and administrative centre located in what is now Lakhisarai district in Bihar. Spread in an area around 25–30 square kilometres, the city has a large number of historical monuments, particularly Buddhist Stupas and Hindu temples. Beglar and Cunningham explored the area and reported on the antiquity of the region in the 19th century.[1]
It is known to contain the first hilltop Buddhist monastery in the Gangetic plains.[2]
History
The site was built sometime during the Gupta or Pāla-period in the Magadha region. The monastery at the site was known as Śrīmaddharmavihārik āryabhikṣusaṅghasya which translates as "the council of monks of Śrīmaddharma Vihāra". The monastery was mentioned by Xuanzang during his travels through the region. He also stated that the Buddha himself stayed here.[3][4] Recent evidence has also led to speculation that the monastery was led by a female monk called Vijayaśrī Bhadra.[5]
References
- ^ Anil, Kumar (2011). "Kṛimilā: A Forgotten Adhiṣṭhāna of Early Medieval Eastern India". Indian Historical Review. 38. doi:10.1177/037698361103800102. S2CID 220720306.
- ^ "First hilltop Buddhist monastery found in Bihar's Lakhisarai". Hindustan Times.
- ^ Kumar, Anil (2009). "Interesting Early Medieval Sculptures of Magadh: A Case Study of Sculptures from "Krimila Adhisthana"". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 70: 1034–1048. JSTOR 44147749.
- ^ "RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS AT KRIMILA: THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF EARLY MEDIEVAL INDIAN HISTORY" (PDF). Journal of Indian Research. 2016.
- ^ "The recently excavated monastery holds evidence that the it was run by a female monk; it's also a vital key in resurrecting the lost city of Krimila". Outlook India.
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