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Maps of Ancient Buddhist Asia

Sarīravibhāgo
The Distribution of the Relics

The map shown above is approx. 550 km from East to West and 400 km from North to South

The exact positions of a number of the relic stūpas are not known. I have based the possible locations on recent research, but more excavations need to be done to confirm these sites.

One of the more interesting things this map brings out is that Sāvatthī and Bārāṇasī did not get a share of the relics, and apart from the relics that were taken to Rājagaha, all the others were distributed fairly locally.

Some of the modern place names, where they differ, are given here: Kapilavatthu = Kapilavastu; Pāvā = Fazilnagar; Kusinārā = Kushinagar; Rāmagāma = Ramgram; Rājagaha = Rajgir; Vesālī = Vaishali; Rājagaha = Rajgir.

from Mahāparinibbānasuttaṁ

• Then the Magadhan King Ajātasattu, the son of Lady Wisdom, made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Rājagaha and held a festival.
• The Licchavīs from Vesālī made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Vesālī and held a festival.
• The Sakyas from Kapilavatthu made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Kapilavatthu and held a festival.
• The Bulas of Allakappa made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Allakappa and held a festival.
• The Koliyas of Rāmagāma made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Rāmagāma and held a festival.
• The Veṭhadīpaka brahmin made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Veṭhadīpa and held a festival.
• The Mallas of Pāvā made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Pāvā and held a festival.
• The Mallas of Kusinārā made a Shrine for the Fortunate One’s bodily relics at Kusinārā and held a festival.
• Doṇa the brahmin made a Shrine for the urn and held a festival.
• The Moriyās of Pipphalivana made a Shrine for the ashes at Pipphalivana and held a festival.
• Thus there were eight Shrines for the bodily relics, the Vessel Shrine was the ninth, and the Ashes Shrine was the tenth, and so it was former times.

last updated: May 2024