National Assembly chair inspects Ramgram Stupa and Panitpur area

Kathmandu - National Assembly (NA) chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina has made an onsite inspection of antique Buddhist pilgrimage sites – Ramgram Stupa and Panditpur. Chair Timilsina observed the Stupa located at Ramgram municipality-7 and Panditpur area based in Ramgram-18 of Nawalparasi(Bardaghat-Susta-West) today. It may be noted that RamgramStupa remains the only intact and original site containing relics of Gautam Buddha.

Panditpur is renowned as the capital of antique Koliya republic and possibly the maternal home of Lord Buddha. Saying that the two archeologically important areas are lagging behind in the development, he expressed his special interest in the development of the antique territory. On the occasion, Ramgram municipality mayor Narendra Gupta shared the efforts taking place in regard to the development of both archeologically precious area.

According to the Lumbini Development Trust, the Koliya Kingdom out of the then eight states had constructed a stupa keeping the cremated remains of Shakya King Buddha it possessed after Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana(Nirvana after death). It is also narrated that Buddha’s cremated remains were divided and distributed among the princes of states. Each of the princes had constructed a stupa at or near the capital city within which the respective portion of the ashes were enshrined.

Some 300 years later, Emperor Ashoka opened seven of these stupas and removed the Buddha relics (his goal was to redistribute the relics into 84,000 stupas which he planned to construct throughout the Maurya Empire. According to legend, the Serpent King was guarding the Ramgram stupa, and prevented Ashoka from unearthing the relic. Rampgram Stupa was discovered in 1899 AD. The LumbiniDevelopment Trust has been designated for the preservation and development of stupa area.