Kalawān monastery, (near) Taxila, Punjab, PK

Raw data

Serial ID number 139-008
Name & Location Kalawan group of buildings
Punjab, Pakistan
Coordinates [missing]
Area 0 Ha
Date Inscribed 1980
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139/multiple=1&unique_number=153

"[On the way to] Giri: when we follow the route from the Dharmarajika stupa south-south-east we first come to the monastic establishment at Kalawan, the biggest of its kind in Taxila, which had a longest span of life from the time of the Parthians to a late period. Following the same route we pass through a rocky defile between the old village of Khurram Piracha and Khurram Gujar, enter a secluded valley and arrive in the glen of Giri, which lies on the old route that went across Margalla"
http://www.world66.com/asia/southasia/pakistan/taxila/history citing (http://www.heritage.gov.pk/html_Pages/chapter-IX.htm)

Therefore - Kalawan monastery was situated between Dharmarajika monastery and villages of village of Khurram Piracha and Khurram Gujar http://www.world66.com/asia/southasia/pakistan/taxila/history citing (http://www.heritage.gov.pk/html_Pages/chapter-IX.htm) - tmciolek, 26 July 2012.

Kalawan monastery, (near) Taxila, Punjab, PK
"Plan of Sangharama at Kalawan. (Drawing)" - http://www.printsasia.com/book/Plates-John-Marshall

"The ruins at Kalawān include the largest monastery found in northern India. An inscription from a caitya hall from the site includes the date "the 134th year of Azes", which corresponds to 77 C.E. The inscription records the enshrinement of relics in the caitya hall and their presentation to the Servāstivādin School, the earliest mention in northern India of a school of Nikāya Buddhism" (Hirakawa & Groner 1993:233)

Input by: tmciolek, July 26, 2012

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 16 Sep 2013

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

Location of Kalawan monastery, PK.

General location of the Kalawan monastery, PK.
lat=33.7372, long=72.8597
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2012.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.7372+72.8597+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Kalawan%20monastery,%20PK)&ll=33.7372,72.8597&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

  • [missing data]

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

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

  • Sarvastivada - Hirakawa & Groner (1993:233)
  • Nikāya - Hirakawa & Groner (1993:233)

11. Date-early

  • MBM chrono-tag: <=0200 0200-32c - tmciolek 20 May 2013
  • <=0200 0200-32c 0233-66p dated-ex

12. Date-intermediate

  • Active in 77 AD - Hirakawa & Groner (1993:233)
  • MBM chrono-tag: <=0200 - tmciolek 20 May 2013
  • <=0200 dated-x

13. Date-late

  • [missing data]

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological, architectural

16. Additional notes

  • [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)

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

  • [missing data]

end of page

0200-32c0233-66p2km<=0200dated-exkpakistanplacesect.nikayasect.sarvastivadasouth-asiatradition(?)
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