Melikawat monastic cluster, (towards) Hotan, Xinjiang, CN

Raw data

"Monastery, Melikawat ancient ruins, Hotan, Xinjiang, China
Melikawat is a large site that was of significance in the ancient Kingdom of Khotan, with large government buildings and monasteries. In about the fourth century CE, Khotan had more than 5,000 Buddhist temples and monasteries.
The site is buried under several meters of silt, built up over centuries from the Yorungkash / White Jade River. What is seen today is only the tops of the largest buildings.
The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang passed through Khotan circa 644 AD on his way back from India to China. He wrote:
"This country is renowned for its music; the men love the song and dance. Few of them wear garments of skin and wool; most wear taffeta and white linen. Their external behavior is full of urbanity; their customs are properly regulated. Their written characters and their mode of forming their sentences resemble the Indian model; the forms of the letters differ somewhat; the differences, however, are slight. The spoken language also differs from that of other countries. They greatly esteem the law of the Buddha. There are about a hundred sangharamas [monasteries/nunneries] with some 5000 followers, who all study the doctrine of the Great Vehicle.
Coordinates: 36°56'43"N, 79°53'43"E [= Lat 36.94527778, Long 79.89527778 - tmciolek]"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/centralasiatraveler/2264033175/

Input by: tmciolek, Jan 11, 2011

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 03 Oct 2012

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 20 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Melikawat monastic cluster, CN.

General location of the Melikawat monastic cluster, CN.
Lat 36.94527778 Long 79.89527778
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2010.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=36.94527778+79.89527778+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Melikawat%20monastic%20cluster,%20CN)&ll=36.94527778,79.89527778&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en

Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • China:Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

  • [missing data]

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

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

MBM chrono-tag: 0300-32p 0333-66p 0367-99p - tmciolek 03 Oct 2013
0300-32p 0333-66p 0367-99p 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99p dated-ex

12. Date-intermediate

MBM chrono-tag: 0633-66c 0667-99p - tmciolek 03 Oct 2013

13. Date-late

  • [missing data]

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological, pilgrimage account

16. Additional notes

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

  • [missing data]

end of page

0300-32p0333-66p0367-99p0400-32c0433-66c0467-99c0500-32c0533-66c0567-99c0600-32c0633-66c0667-99p20kmcentral-asiachinaclusterdated-exmplacetrad.mahayanaven.xuanzangwestern-china
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