Jaulian monastery, (near) Taxila, Punjab, PK

Raw data

Jaulian are the ruins of an ancient buddhistic monastery near Taxila, Punjab (Pakistan), Pakistan.
The ruins at Julian date from the fifth century CE and consist of two main parts. These are 1) the main stupa and 2) the monastery and university of Jaulian. The ruins are situated on a mountain top. The form and building of the university at Jaulian is similar to that of Mohra Muradu that is about 1 Km away.
[…]
The monastery was burnt in 455 CE by the White Huns and thus destroyed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaulian

"A view of Jaulian University in Taxila […] The archaeological sites in Taxila that have gone to the K-P department [Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Department of Museum and Archaeology - tmciolek] are: Jandial Stupa, Jinan Wali Dheri, Badalpur Stupa, Buddhist Monastery of 300 BC (commonly known as Jaulian University), Tofkian Stupa, Mirpur Mound, Sirsukh, Piplian, Chiti, Bhirnmound and Bhamala Stupa."
http://tribune.com.pk/story/247563/cultural-heritage-k-p-govt-takes-over-16-archaeological-sites-in-hazara/

"The second-century Jaulian monastery is west of the main stupa. A group of five plaster sculptures at the entrance on the left, is protected behind wooden doors. These are copies, the originals are in the Taxila Museum. The group shows the meditating Buddha with a standing Buddha on either side and figures behind. The attendant figure on the left carries a fly whisk; on the right stands Vajrapani (the god of thunder), holding a thunderbolt.

The monastery court is surrounded by 28 monk cells. Originally there was a second floor with another 28 cells reached by the stone staircase in the cell in the northwestern corner. The balcony post holes and the charred wood found in the excavations indicate that a carved wooden balcony, supported on wooden pillars, ran all the way round the inside of the court to give access to the upper cells.

A low wooden door led into each cell. The doorways look much larger today than they actually were because the wooden door frame and lintel and the wall above the door, made of mud and small stones, have fallen down. High up in each cell is a small sloping window and a niche for the monk's lamp. In the fifth century all the walls were plastered and painted and statues of Buddha and scenes from his life decorated the courtyard."

http://www.buddhistravel.com/index.php?id=61,268,0,0,1,0 - based on
A Guide to Taxila‚ Sir John H Marshall (1936), reprinted Karachi 1960‚ Sani Communications

"The second century AD Jaulian monastery is west of the main stupa. Visible today, are 28 monks' cells that enclose the monastery court. Originally there was a second floor with another 28 cells and stone staircase. The water tank at the center of the court collected rainwater off the wooden roof. The hall of assembly, kitchen, storeroom, refectory, stewards' room, baths and latrine are all to the west of the monastery court. The monastery was burnt by the Huns in 455 and never rebuilt."
http://www.pakwatan.com/travel_detail.php?id=50
Input by: tmciolek, July 13, 2012

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 27 Apr 2013

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Jaulian monastery, PK.

General location of the Jaulian monastery, PK.
lat=33.76493 long=72.87507
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2012.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.76493+72.87507+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Jaulian%20monastery,%20PK)&ll=33.76493,72.87507&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name


2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Pakistan: Punjab

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names


4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 33.76493 Long 72.87507 - based on the visual identification of the site in maps and satellite imagery in http://maps.google.com/, tmciolek, 19 Jul 2012.


6. Ancient name of the known nearest city, town, or village


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names


8. The settlement's coordinates

  • Taxila Ruins of Sirkup, approx., Lat 33.755 Long 72.829 - based on the visual identification of the site in maps, http://maps.google.com/ - tmciolek, 13 Jul 2012.

9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • [missing data]

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • MBM chrono-tag <=0200 - tmciolek 27 Apr 2013
  • <=0200 0200-32c 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c dated-el

12. Date-intermediate

  • [missing data]

13. Date-late

  • MBM chrono-tag 0433-66c - tmciolek 27 Apr 2013

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological, architectural

16. Additional notes


17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

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