Jalandhar's Buddhist past unveiled, untold stories of viharas, monks

"Had it not been for Dr BR Ambedkar’s bold rejection of the Hinduism and his historic embrace of Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur, in 1956 — sparking a wave of Buddhist revival across India, including Punjab — the region’s Buddhist heritage might have faded into obscurity, remembered only through a few overlooked texts by forgotten authors."

"Centuries after the countless Buddhist Viharas that once flourished in the ancient spiritual hub of Jalandhar were lost — replaced by modern townships, religious sites, or reduced to mere mounds of earth — a new generation, inspired by Ambedkar’s reverence for Buddha’s 'Dhamma', began rediscovering the past and establishing fresh centres of Buddhist worship across the region."

The first of these Buddhist Viharas was set up at Sidharth Nagar in Jalandhar in 1980. Now, there are over 20 in the state.

The kingdom of Trigarta, which had its capital in Jalandhar (finds mention in the Puranas), long predates Punjab. As per the writings of Chinese traveller and writer Hiuen Tsang (or Xuanzang), who visited Jalandhar in the 7th century, Jalandhar was a prolific Buddhist centre which had 50 Buddhist Viharas and scores of monks (between 200 and 2,000 as per varied sources). The most popular of the ancient scribes having detailed Punjab's Buddhist past, Hiuen Tsang's travels from Patti to Sultanpur Lodhi to Jalandhar, document a region teeming with Buddhist monasteries.

When Jalandhar-based Ambedkarite Buddhist Harmesh Jassal began work on a colossal (Punjabi) work documenting the Buddhist history of Punjab - it was in the works of this Chinese pilgrim (Xuanzang), a British legendary historian (Alexander Cunningham the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India) and a Jalandhar-based Sanskrit scholar (Pt Krishnanand Shastri) that he found answer to most of his questions.

Currently working on his book 'Punjab Da Bodhi Itihaas' (the Buddhist history of Punjab) which comes out in October, Jassal says, "A reading of Shatri's book 'Trigarta Pradesh' decades ago sent me on a trajectory from which I have never recovered. He visited, studied and documented many places which we constantly see, oblivious to their Buddhist history. When Hiuen Tsang visited India, following travels at Patti (Tarn Taran) and Sultanpur Lodhi (where he saw a 200 feet high Buddhist stupa) and at Jalandhar, he witnessed a huge centre of the Buddhism. He stayed here for 14 months. As per many Buddhist scholars, the fourth Buddhist conference was also held at Jalandhar - at a place which was then called the 'Tamas Ban' (thick forest). During Hiuen Tsang's visit, Udito, a Buddhist king contemporary to and an ally of King Harshvradhan of the Kushan dynasty, ruled Jalandhar. Harshvardhan directed Udito to host Tsang as a state guest and ensure his safe passage across the kingdom's borders."

Jassal adds, "Shastri documented painstakingly the places associated with Buddha in Jalandhar. He ran a book store popular as Sanskrit Bhawan at Mai Heeran Gate and I've had the honour of meeting him before his death. The temple of Sati Vrinda Mata at Kishanpura is actually said to be of the wife of king Jalandhara, the "daanav" (demon) king who once ruled Jalandhar. There are old temples and places in Jalandhar which are said to be testimonies of the 10th century Buddhist associations with the Nath seers, including Jalandhar Nath. The popular Devi Talab Mandir had mud hills around it once, in the caves of which Buddhist monks lived and stayed.

Jassal adds, "It is sad that people and students today are oblivious to this specific history. Like Sanghol-Uccha Pind in Fatehgarh Sahib, I believe Jalandhar too would yield countless Buddhist treasures in exvacations, if carried out."