Jetavana monastery, (near) Saheth-Maheth, Uttar Pradesh, IN

Raw data

"Jetavana, India"
The remains of Jetavana and Savatthi were locally known as Sahet-Mahet. Alexander Cunningham used the ancient (6th century AD) accounts of Chinese pilgrim-monks to determine that Sahet-Mahet actually referred to Jetavana and Savatthi. Jetavana is located just outside the old city of Savatthi."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetavana

Also known as Jetavanarama, this site is connected in early Buddhist scripture with one Anathapindada, a wealthy banker of the city of Savatthi, who purchased a princely pleasure gardena and converted it into a monastery. It is described as having cells, a dining hall, a meeting hall, bathing places, kitchens, wells, pond, covered promenades. This site was monastery continuously until the fifth century, when Fa Hien the Chinese pilgrim stayed there. It was in ruins by the time Xuanzang arrived in the 640's. The monastery was reoccupied sometime later, a modest vihara built and it received a grant of six villages from the king of Kanouj in 1130 CE.

See Sukumar Dutt, Buddhist Monks and Monasteries of India: their history and contribution to Indian culture (London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd. 1962), p.

Input by: tmciolek, 24 Jan 2009 and Stewart Gordon, 26 Aug 2009.
Note: Wikipedia provides slightly different coords (27.509466|N|82.040073|E|) than the Falling Rain Genomics (27.5166667, 82.05)
Input by: tmciolek, 27 Feb 2009

Djetavana Vihara. Lit. Gold Fields Monastery, The Garden That Was Given Monastery, Djeta Monastery. A vihara of seven storeys in the park which Anathapindaka bought from prince Djeta (the son of Prasendajit) and gave to Sakyamuni. Src: Eitel (1888:53)
Input by: tmciolek, 27 Feb 2009

Final data (and their sources)

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Jetavana monastery, India.

General location of the Jetavana monastery, India.
lat=27.5166667 long=82.05
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://maps.fallingrain.com), 2009.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=27.5166667+82.05+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Jetavana%20monastery,%20IN)&ll=27.5166667,82.05&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en

Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • India:State of Uttar Pradesh

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • Djeta Monastery (Eitel 1888:53)
  • Djetavana Vihara (Eitel 1888:53)
  • Gold Fields Monastery (Eitel 1888:53)
  • The Garden That Was Given Monastery (Eitel 1888:53)

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

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

7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

8. The settlement's coordinates

9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

final data ….

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

final data ….

11. Date-early

  • c. 400 BCE

12. Date-intermediate

  • c. 400 CE (Fa Hien stayed in the monastery)

13. Date-late

  • 1130 CE (grant from the King of Kanouj)

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • Scripture connects this site with others occupied by the Buddha during his lifetime, including Jivakarama and Ghositarama

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • Early texts, inscription, pilgrimage account

16. Additional notes

final data (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)….

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

final data ….

end of page

Page tags: 2km fahien india j mapped south-asia spot tradition? xuanzang
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