[So I had asked the government of India what it would officially say about the controversy. They sent an email reply to me, posted as titled Reply From Government of India on Buddha Birth Place saying that "the desired information is not available in the record holdings of National Archives of India". Then on February 14, 2010 I wrote a paper on the Buddha birth place and posted offering a title as Nepal’s Lumbini: Where The Buddha Was Born. Then followed a series of debates particularly on Kapilvastu. In the meantime Kapilvastu Forum came forward from India to debate Kapilvastu.]
By B. K. Rana
A group of people burned the book down in Chautara, Sindhupalchowk district, some 4 hours drive eastwards from Kathmandu. A Maoist lawmaker had even raised the issue, reading aloud the text in the book in front of the Nepalese parliamentarians. The Buddha birth place controversy is not new at all, it is there since
So I had asked the government of India what it would officially say about the controversy. They sent an email reply to me, posted as titled Reply From Government of India on Buddha Birth Place saying that "the desired information is not available in the record holdings of National Archives of India". Then on February 14, 2010 I wrote a paper on the Buddha birth place and posted offering a title as Nepal’s Lumbini: Where The Buddha Was Born. Then followed a series of debates particularly on Kapilvastu. In the meantime Kapilvastu Forum came forward from India to debate Kapilvastu.
The Krishna Murari Shrivastava Report on Piprahawa and Ganwaria is compelling - there is no doubt about it but Nepal's Tilaurakot stands more impressive to me. So I had proposed for further research and posted as titled: Reexcavations in and Around Tilaurakot, Piprahawa and Ganwaria Required; and Both the Nepalese and Indian Governments Should Form a Team of Experts for Further Exacavation and Examination of Kapilvastu. But Prof. Shudershan Raj Tiwari from Tribhuvan University Kathmandu put aside my call for re-excavation and posted an article Tilaurakot: The True And Only Contender For Kapilavastu. Now, UNESCO has been reported as supporting another excavation at Tilaurakot ( Kapilvastu in Nepal) from 2011 - 2015. It is nice to hear about them doing it so again. The Department of Archaeology, Kathmandu seems to be unwilling or sidelined for governmental redtapism.
But in the recent news on 'Kapilvastu Mahotsav' organized by Utter Pradesh Government, the reporter writes the Buddha was born in Kapilvastu, which is also wrong information. It means there is yet another Kapilvastu in India also or, the historic one, as the Utter Pradesh Government seems to be believing up till now. There has been an uproar over the web that Utter Pradesh Government is 'building' a new 'Kapilvastu' in Aligadawa. We do not know why any Indian government would do so and for what ?
Last year, a concerned officer from Archaeological Survey of India, Field Office had sent an email to me saying that they were not faking any new Kapilvastu in Aligadawa. He had said 'maintenance' of any government property was a regular activity.
Now, UNESCO seems to be determined to settle the Kapilvastu Controversy, taking the same people who had excavated the site before: Prof. Robin Cunnigham and Kosh Prasad Acharya. Hope they will be able resolve the issue for ever.(Please read the full texts of news below as appeared online.)
[Kapilvastu is the birthplace of Lord Buddha where a large number of Buddhist monks from India
By Pawan Shah (ANI)
Siddharthnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Jan.1 : A five-day long festival ‘Kapilvastu Mahotsav’ is being organised in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district to highlight the teachings of Lord Buddha.
Kapilvastu is the birthplace of Lord Buddha where a large number of Buddhist monks from India
Jagdambika Pal, a Congress MP, said the development in the birthplace of Lord Buddha has not been given much importance but now mega projects are underway for the progress of the area.
“We, after trying very hard, convinced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Gautam Sengupta, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, came here to Siddharth Nagar. A major project is underway in which Kumari Sheilja, Union Tourism Minister has sanctioned five crore rupees,” said Pal.
Various folk singers and dancers performed at the festival.
Ravindra Jain, a renowned Bollywood singer, said it was very saddening to see that in today’s world people are forgetting the teachings of Lord Buddha.
“An Indian prince had spread the message of peace and now the situations have changed so much that more than us Japan China
As per historical evidence, Kapilvastu was the ancient capital of Sakya clan of kings to which Buddha belonged.
Buddha left his palace in Kapilvastu at the age of 29 and revisited it 12 years later after attaining enlightenment.
Kapilvastu boasts of a large ‘Stupa’ (dome), which is said to have housed Buddha’s bone relics.
Buddha has achieved the ‘Enlightenment’ after 49 days of meditation, the result of which is now known as the ‘Four Noble Truths’ of the religion Buddhism.
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UNESCO-LED TEAM BEGINS TILOURAKOT EXCAVATION
Posted by: | Date: January 22, 2011
KAPILVASTU: A UNESCO-lead team has initiated the excavation of the historical Tilourakot palace, where Gautam Buddha is believed to have spent 29 years of his life.
At a programme organised here today to announce the initiation of the excavation, Modraj Dotel, secretary of the Culture Ministry, said a team of archaeologists under Dr Robin Conningham, UNESCO representative and professor of Archaeology at Durham University, UK, has started the excavation.
According to Chief District Officer, Laxman Bahadur Thapa, the excavation has been initiated as per an agreement among the ministry, Department of Archaeology, Lumbini Development Trust, Durham University
Kosh Prasad Acharya, UNESCO representative and former director general of the archaeology department, expressed hope that the current excavation will help find out the detailed structure of the palace.
Dr Conningham said, “All archaeological findings will be studied and kept in the museum for demonstration.”
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Monday, January 24th, 2011
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decided to excavate the ancient Kapilvastu Palace
UNESCO informed that excavation would be carried out at major sites and the western part of the palace.
The excavation would be carried out under the scheme of Lumbini Development Trust and the Department of Archeology.
According to UNESCO, the excavation would also help promote tourism in Tilaurakot area.
Ravines Cunningham, UNESCO representative and professor of Durban United Kingdom
Addressing a programme organized at the district headquarters in Taulihawa to announce the excavation works, Cunningham said that Kapilvastu was enriched with archeological sites.
“Carrying an excavation in such a holy place is a privilege,” said Cunningham.
He assured that the excavation of Tilaurakot would bring the Shakya palace into limelight.
“Until now Tilaurakot, where the palace of Suddhodhana
Lumbini Development Trust said that the excavation work will be carried from July 2011 to May 2015.
The east and west gates of historic Shakya palace were found but the main palace of Sudhodhana
Investigation regarding the missing parts of the palace and the hidden secrets would be made public at its earliest, informed UNESCO.
Equipment and other archeological sites found during the excavation period will be preserved in a scientific way.
Archeologist Bhesh Narayan Dahal said that Kapivastu museum would also be expanded under the excavation project.
