The document discusses the historical context and significance of Buddhist and Jain monasteries in India, focusing on figures like Siddhartha (the Buddha) and Mahavira as well as the Pala Empire's rise. It highlights key sites such as Bodhgaya and Nalanda, detailing their architectural and cultural influences over the centuries. The content encompasses the doctrinal teachings, preservation challenges, and legacy of these spiritual traditions in the context of Indian history.

1. BUDDHIST & JAIN
MONASTRY OF INDIA

2. INDEX
 INTRODUCTION
 Pala Empire In Magadha
 Bodhgaya and Mahabodhi Temple
 Jain Architectural Legacy
 Challenges in Preservation
 Conclusion

3. Introduction
Buddhist: - Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was
born about 2500 years ago. This was a time of rapid change in the lives of people.
As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in the mahajanapadas were growing more
powerful. New cities were developing, and life was changing in the villages as
well. Many thinkers were trying to understand these changes in society. They also
wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life. The Buddha belonged to a
small gana known as the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he was a young
man, he left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge. He wandered for
several years, meeting and holding discussions with other thinkers. He finally
decided to find his own path to realization, and meditated for days on end under a
peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment. After that,
he was known as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to Sarnath, near
Varanasi, where he taught for the first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling
on foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till he passed
away at Kusinara.

4. Jainism: - The last and 24th tirthankara of the Jainas, Vardhamana
Mahavira, also spread his message around this time, i.e. 2500 years ago.
He was a kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that was a part of
the Vajji sangha, about which you read in Chapter 5. At the age of
thirty, he left home and went to live in a forest. For twelve years, he led a
hard and lonely life, at the end of which he attained enlightenment. He
taught a simple doctrine: men and women who wished to know the truth
must leave their homes. They must follow very strictly the rules of
ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing living beings. "All beings,"
said Mahavira "long to live. To all things life is dear." Ordinary people
could understand the teachings of Mahavira and his followers, because
they used Prakrit. There were several forms of Prakrit, used in different
parts of the country, and named after the regions in which they were
used. For example, the Prakrit spoken in Magadha was known as
Magadhi. Followers of Mahavira, who were known as Jainas, had to lead
very simple lives, begging for food. They had to be absolutely honest, and
were especially asked not to steal. Also, they had to observe celibacy.
And men had to give up everything, including their clothes.

5. Pala Empire in Magadha
Rise of Empire: The Gupta Empire’s decline in the sixth century led to
Rajput principalities in the west and the Pala Empire’s rise in Magadha
(Bihar and Bengal).
•Dharmapala: He was the second Pala ruler, established a powerful
empire in the eighth century through victories over Rajput Pratiharas.
•Agricultural Dominance: Empire’s wealth derived from agriculture in
the fertile Ganges plain and international trade.

6. Bodhgaya and Mahabodhi
Temple
Importance: Bodhgaya, a pilgrimage site, holds
significance as the place where Siddhartha achieved
enlightenment.
•Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya: Initially built by King
Ashoka, underwent modifications over time.
• The vedika around the shrine is said to be post-Mauryan, of
about 100 BCE.
•Current structure: The current temple structure reflects
the Colonial Period reconstruction of the original seventh-
century design.
•Different Style: The design of the temple is unusual. It is,
strictly speaking, neither Dravida nor Nagara.
•It is narrow like a Nagara temple, but it rises without
curving, like a Dravida one.

7. Nalanda: -
•Mahavihar: It is a mahavihara as it is a complex of several monasteries of
various sizes.
•Founder: Most information about Nalanda is derived from Xuan Zang’s (Hsuan-
tsang) records, indicating that Kumargupta I laid the monastery’s foundation in
the fifth century CE.
•Subsequent Evolution: Subsequent monarchs developed it into a renowned
university where all three Buddhist doctrines—Theravada, Mahayana, and
Vajrayana—were taught.
•Global Recognition: Monks from various regions, including China, Tibet, Central
Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and others, traveled to Nalanda for education,
making it a prominent center for Buddhist learning.
•Influences: Sculptural art at Nalanda developed from Gupta traditions,
showcasing a synthesis of local Bihar and central Indian influences.
•Focus Shift: Nalanda sculptures, in stucco, stone, and bronze,
depict Mahayana and Vajrayana deities, reflecting a shift in focus during the late
eleventh and twelfth centuries.
•Features: Nalanda sculptures, dating between the seventh and twelfth centuries,
show distinctive facial features, three-dimensional forms, and detailed back
slabs.
•Discoveries: The Nalanda bronzes, dating from the 7th to 12th centuries, form
a significant collection of Pala Period metal sculptures, surpassing discoveries
from other sites in eastern India.

8. Mahayana Tradition: Initially influenced by Sarnath and
Mathura Gupta traditions, these sculptures portray
Mahayana Buddhist deities (such as standing Buddhas,
bodhisattvas such as Manjusri Kumara, Avalokiteshvara
seated on a lotus and Naga-Nagarjuna).
•Tantric Center: In the late 11th and 12th centuries, Nalanda
became a key tantric center, shifting focus to Vajrayana
deities.
•Crowned Buddha: depictions became common after the 10th
century.
•Secular Features: Notably, Nalanda also features non-
Sarnath style Brahmanical images, some still worshipped in
nearby villages.
•Sirpur in Chhattisgarh: Represents an early Odisha-style
site with both Hindu and Buddhist shrines.
•Iconographic and stylistic elements in Buddhist sculptures at
Sirpur are similar to those at Nalanda.
•Nagapattinam: A major Buddhist center until the Chola
Period, reveals Chola influences in bronze and stone
sculptures dating back to the tenth century.