OLD COUPLES KASHI YATRA VIA KHAJURAHO (10)

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OLD COUPLES KASHI YATRA VIA KHAJURAHO (10)

14th October, 2007 - Sunday.

At 3 pm we started in the three wheeler to visit Bodh Gaya. As I said earlier Shri Kannayya Lal arranged this three wheeler and the autowallah was waiting in our Lodge from 1 pm onwards. We decided to engage an auto for the reason that the autowallah acts as a tourist guide and in the shortest time he can show all important places in Bodh Gaya (Rs.300 for the trip). Bodh Gaya is at a distance of about 15 km from Gaya. First he has taken us directly to Maha Bodhi Temple where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.

Bodh Gaya -- MAHABODHI TEMPLE.

This temple is very beautiful and neatly maintained. Silence pervades the entire temple. The famous Pipal tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment is also situated in this temple premises. A small temple was also built under this tree by Ashoka the Great. We sat before the statue of Lord Buddha for five minutes and spent time silently looking at the statue. The icon appears to be oozing divinity.

Lord Buddha in Mahabodhi Temple - What a beautiful divine Icon!

For Buddhists, Gaya is an important pilgrimage place. It is here that Lord Buddha preached the Fire Sermon to a thousand fire worshipping ascetics who all became enlightened while listening to his discourse. After about five minutes, one of the volunteers of the temple reminded us that one should not sit for more than five minutes in the temple premises before the icon. According to Buddhist history, Gauthama Buddha wandering as an ascetic, reached the banks of River Falguni and he sat in meditation under a Pipal tree and after three days and three nights of meditation, he attained enlightenment and insight and found answers that he had sought. He then appears to have spent seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. After seven weeks, he proceeded to Saranath near Kasi and revealed to the world what he had gained.

THE FAMOUS PIPAL TREE UNDER WHICH BUDDHA ATTAINED ENLIGHTENMENT.

After coming out of the main temple we went around the temple and also visited the famous Pipal tree and the small temple built under it by King Ashoka. I collected a Pipal leaf fallen from the tree so also Mrs.V.K. Disciples of Gauthama Buddha began to visit this place where he had gained enlightenment on the full moon day of Vaisakha Masam (April-May). Over the period of time the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima and the Pipal Tree as Bodhi Tree. A sapling from the original Bodhi Tree was taken to Sri Lanka and from there another sapling brought to Mahabodhi Temple and planted when the original Tree decayed. We came to know about these details on account of many inscriptions documented by Pilgrims, the foremost being the Chinese Pilgrim Fahian.

After leisurely visiting the Maha Bodhi Temple we came out and visited other temples constructed by various countries following Buddhisim such as Chinese, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, etc. The statue of Buddha in the Chinese Temple is said to be 200 years old and was brought from China. Japan’s Nippon Temple is shaped like a pagoda. The Burmese temple also is similar to that of Japana’s in shape. The Thai Temple has a typical sloping, curved roof covered with golden tiles. Inside this temple there is a spectacular bronze statue of Buddha. After seeing all important temples of Buddha in Bodh Gaya we started our return journey to Gaya and on the way we visited the temple of Mangala Gauri, one of the Sakthi Pithas. This is situated on a small hilltop. The icon in this temple is marked by two rounded stones that symbolize the breasts of the mythological Sati, the first wife of Lord Shiva. The entry into the sanctum sanctorium is very small and just like the door of a window. When we paid a dakshina of Rs.100 to the pujari, he provided us an exclusive leisurely darshan and performed a small puja. After visiting this temple we returned to our lodge and retired for the day after taking a light refreshment.

15th October, 2007 - Monday.

Shri G. Manohar son of Shri Kannayya Lal came to our place by 7 am and took us to the banks of River Falguni. He asked us to wait there and his father will come and guide us in performing Shraddha Karmas to ancestors. In the meanwhile Mr.V.K. and myself, one after the other, had a holy bath in the Falguni River along with our wives. Shri Kannayya Lal came with the material to prepare cooked rice for Shraddha Karmas. After cooking the rice with the help of Cow dung cakes, he took us to a temple of Lord Ganesh on the banks of the River where a telugu knowing purohit is waiting for us. Other pilgrims were performing shraddha karmas on the bank of the river itself. In the Ganesh temple the purohit made us perform shraddha karmas to our ancestors. He made us prepare three sets of Pindas. He said that one set will be offered to a cow after the shraddha karma, another set would be offered under the immortal Banyan Tree - Akshaya Vata Vriksha - the third set will be offered at the feet of Lord Vishnu in Vishnu Pada Temple. After Shraddha Karmas in Ganesh Temple, we offered one set of the pindas to a passing Cow. We have taken the other set to the premises of Akshaya Vata Vriksha where we again performed Shraddha Karmas. It is under this Tree one has to leave a fruit, a leaf and a vegetable permanently. We decided to leave Banyan leaf, Sitaphal fruit and the vegetable Goru Chikkudu. Mr.V.K left a vegetable known as Parbadi similar to Alchandalu and the fruit Papaya. We then proceeded to the Vishnu Pada Temple with the third set of Pindas where the same were offered at the Padas of Vishnu. After having the darshan of Lord Vishnu in the Temple, we proceeded to the house of the Maharashtra Brahmins where Abdeeka Karyakramam with the offering of meals to four Bhoktas was arranged.

After avuposana karyakramam to the Bhoktas, we also had a leisurely delicious lunch in the house of the Maharashtra Brahmins prepared in Andhra style. We returned to the Lodge by 2 pm and took rest for the day. In the evening Shri G. Manohar came to our lodge and took us to his house. We offered our Dakshina to Shri Kannayya Lal for making arrangements for our stay and shraddha karyakramams in Gaya. Shri Kannayya Lal stated that for pilgrims who visit Gaya in the morning and after shraddha karyakramam leave in the evening, he himself provides accommodation in his house where two to three rooms were kept aside for pilgrims. We also noticed that he maintains a Register where the names and addresses of pilgrims to whom he made arrangements for Shraddha Karyakramam are noted. I give below the address and phone numbers of the Telugu Purohits in Gaya who help the pilgrims:

1. G.Kannayya Lal, Decha Chowra, Panchamahal Bazar, Gaya-823009.
PhoneNo.0631-2420721 - Cell No.9431224942
Son Shri G.Manohar - Cell No.09973430184.

2. Shodasi Arunacharya, Krishna Dwaraka Street, Chand Chowra, Gaya-823001
Phone No.0631-2422712 - Cell No.09431224639 - 09334718080.


We informed Shri G.Manohar that we intend to leave next day morning at 6-30 am and requested him to show the road to proceed to Hazaribagh via Barhi. He stated that he will come tomorrow morning and leave us at the outskirts of Gaya. We returned to the Lodge and took rest with great satisfaction of performing pinda pradanam to ancestors in famous Pilgrimage Centre Gaya.

OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT


RAGHAVARAO U.V.G.V. DUGGIRALA,

HYDERABAD, Dt.11th JANUARY, 2010.

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Comments

[samrat dhamale]

nice entry

[Raghavarao]

Thank you.