Raw data
This site is located the village of Bairat (ancient name Viratanagara), 52 miles from Jaipur in the Jaipur district (Rajasthan) on the Jaipur- Indraprastha highway. It is famous for an Asokan inscription. It also has a very early free-standing monastery, probably from the 3rd century BCE. Xuanzang, in the 630's, found 8 monasteries on the site but most were ruined. Only a few monks remained.
See D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Sites and Shrines in India: History, Art and Architecture (Delhi: Indian Books Centre, 2003) p.230.
Src: IN
Input by: SG , Apr 3, 2009
"Bairat or ancient Viratnagar, the capital of Matsyadesa, is said to have been founded by king Virat […] The place is well-known for two Asokan inscriptions and important ancient Buddhist relics found here. Excavations carried out on the different terraces of this hill known as Bijak-ki-Pahari have yielded remains of a Mauryan circular stupa-shrine made of lime-plastered panels of brickwork alternating with twenty-six octagonal pillars of wood, preceded by monastic remains with a double row of cells arranged around an open square courtyard."
http://wikimapia.org/10506596/Ancient-Site-Bairat-Virat-Nagar-District-Jaipur-Rajasthan-INDIA
Input by: tmciolek, Apr 8, 2009
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 09 Sep 2012
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the bairat monastery, IN.
Lat 27.41714 Long 76.16239
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://maps.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Bairat monastery
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India: State of Rajasthan
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- [missing data]
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 27.41714 Long 76.16239 - based on the visual identification of the site in satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 9 Sep 2012.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Bairāt - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/24/Bairat.html
- Viratnagar - http://wikimapia.org/10506596/Ancient-Site-Bairat-Virat-Nagar-District-Jaipur-Rajasthan-INDIA
- Bairath - http://theonlinegk.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/important-facts-of-indian-history-ancient-india/
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx., Lat 27.4500 Long 76.1833 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/24/Bairat.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- [missing data]
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- 3rd Cent. BCE
- MBM chrono-tag: <=0200 - tmciolek 13 Dec 2012
- <=0200 0200-32c 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66p dated-ex
12. Date-intermediate
- 630's CE. - Xuanzang's visit
- MBM chrono-tag: 0600-32c 0633-66p - tmciolek 13 Dec 2012
13. Date-late
- [missing data]
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- Archaeology, Pilgrimage account
16. Additional notes
- Eight monasteries (mainly in ruin) and only a few monks in the 630's CE. Xuanzang
- Bijak-ki-Pahari - a double row of cells arranged around an open square courtyard." - http://wikimapia.org/10506596/Ancient-Site-Bairat-Virat-Nagar-District-Jaipur-Rajasthan-INDIA
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
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