Raw data
Purvasaila Sangharama. Lit. Eastern Mountain Monastery. A monastery east of Dhanakataka. Src: Soothill & Hodus 1937: 263)
Input by: tmciolek, Feb 27 2009
Dhanyakataka (Amaravati) (Soothill & Hodus 1937:188)
Input by: tmciolek, Feb 27 2009
"Hiuen Tsiang further relates that to the east of the capital on a mountain there stood a con-
vent called PurvaSila and on a mountain to the west was another, called Avara&la. Perhaps it
would be preferable to render the names of these two monasteries by Purva&aila and Avarasaila,
the Sanskrit word for a mountain being 6aUa, whereas 6S& means * s stone." Now, it is worthy of
note that among the localities mentioned in inscription F, we meet ,with the name Puvasela,
which is clearly a Prakrit form corresponding to Sanskrit Purva&aila. A name, meaning
"Eastern Mountain or Hill," may, of course, have been used at different places of India. But
it is a point worth considering whether the remains of Nagarjuniko$4& can possibly represent
the ancient capital of DhanBakataka, which archaeologists have sought both at Dharanikofca
near Amaravati and at Bezwa."
http://www.archive.org/stream/epigrahiaindicav014769mbp/epigrahiaindicav014769mbp_djvu.txt
Input by: tmciolek, Mar 24 2009
Input by: tmciolek, Apr 7 2009
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Amravati.html
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.
General location of the Purvasaila monastery, IN.
lat=20.9133 long=77.7900
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://maps.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Purvasaila monastery - Soothill & Hodus (1937: 263)
2. Monastery's modern country
- India:State of Maharashtra
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- PurvaSila - http://www.archive.org/stream/epigrahiaindicav014769mbp/epigrahiaindicav014769mbp_djvu.txt
- Eastern Mountain Monastery - Soothill & Hodus (1937: 263)
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx. Lat 20.889446 Long 77.786209 - based on an tmciolek's estimate of 24 Apr 2009.
To the SE of the city, opposite the New Prabhat Colony suburb, there are two hills which could be the ancient Western & Eastern Mountain monastery sites in question. The presented here coords. for the East Mountain monastery have been calculated from the Google Maps map of this hill in 1:15K scale - tmciolek, 24 Apr 2009.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Dhanyakataka - Soothill & Hodus (1937:188)
- Dhanakataka - Soothill & Hodus (1937: 263)
- Dhenaka-Katha - http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Aurangabad/ch7_art.html
- Maha Andhra - http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Aurangabad/ch7_art.html
- Amraoti - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Amravati.html
- Amraotī - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Amravati.html
- Amrāvati - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Amravati.html
- Amaravati - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Amravati.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Exactly Lat 20.9333 Long 77.7500 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Amravati.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
final data ….
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
final data ….
11. Date-early
final data ….
12. Date-intermediate
- 630's CE
13. Date-late
final data ….
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
final data ….
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- pilgrim 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 ….
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