Tale of two Buddhist sites of Jharkhand – Itkhori and Kolhua Hill

The Buddhist inscriptions and arts are found in few excavations in Hazaribagh and Chatra districts of state under the supervision of Bulu Imam, the Convenor of Hazaribagh Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. He mentions about the book, Buddha ‘Light of Asia’, written by Sir Edwin Arnold in 1879.

In the 6th book of the poem, Arnold writes:
Thou, who would see where dawned the Light at last,/North-westwards (this is the direction from Itkhori to Bodh Gaya) from the/“Thousand Gardens” (Hazaribagh) go…/On the green hills where those twin streamlets spring,/Nilajan and Mohana; follow them,/Winding beneath broad-leaved mahua-trees,/Till on the plain the shining sisters (rivers) meet/In Phalgu’s bed, flowing by rocky banks/To Gaya and the red Barabar hills…/Uruvela (old name of Bodh Gaya site) named in ancient dayshttps://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/deciphering-the-past/article23840307.ece


Tradition has it that Gautama’s mother’s sister, Prajapati Gautami came looking for him during his period of meditation. When she could not find him, she said “Iti khoi”, in Pali, meaning “I have lost him”. It is said that Iti khoi became Itkhori. Many hundreds of sculptures have been found here and 700 such pieces are kept in a simple site museum which has been made.
Similar to that Akash Lochan (Kolhua Hill) is the place known for the place where Buddha shaved his head after being Boddhisattva. But unfortunately both of the sites are captured by Hindus.


Itkhori now known for Bhadrakali Temple of Hindus and also there is a 1008 small idols of Buddha carved in an elongated structure same as Stupa. But this stupa is now considered as Shivlinga by Hindus. Same as above Kolhua Hill is now known for Kauleshwari Temple of Hindus. But actually the site hails it’s history not only from Buddhista but also Jains. It have many Jain arts, stone carvings and caves of Parasnath and Shitalnatha. Even the place is also dubbed as Bhaddilpur the birthplace of Jain tirthakara, Shitalnatha. http://www.jainsamaj.org/content.php?url=Jharkhand_Kolhua_Pahad_Digambar_Jain_Tirth

Buddhist and Jains sites should be freed from Hindu mahant and priests and also we should claim it. http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Database/Kolhuahills_2564.aspx

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑