Raw data
Sopara is known to be one of the earliest Buddhist sites in Western India. The two small water cisterns would have been inadequate for non-monsoon occupation and may have served only as backup water during monsoon.
See S. Nagaraju, Buddhist Architecture of Western India (c. 250 B.C. - C. A.D. 300) (Delhi: Agam Kala Prakashan, 1981) 130-132
Input by: Stewart Gordon 17 Mar 2015
"In April 1882, Bhagvanlal Indraji, a noted archaeologist, numismatist and epigraphist excavated at the Burud Rajache Kot mound in Merdes village, near Sopara. The ruins of a Buddhist Stupa was found. From the center of the stupa (inside a brick built chamber) a large stone coffer was excavated which contained eight bronze images of Maitreya Buddha which belong to the c. 8th-9th century CE. This coffer also enclosed relic caskets of copper, silver, stone, crystal and gold, along with numerous gold flowers and fragments of a begging bowl. A silver coin of Gautamiputra Satakarni (Satvahans) was also found from the mound."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopara
Input: tmciolek, 21 May 2015
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 21 March 2015
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Sopara monastery, IN.
Lat 19.414208 Long 72.795216
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2014.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Sopara monastery
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India: Maharashtra
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- [missing data]
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx. Lat 19.414208 Long 72.795216 - based on visual identification in maps/satellite imagery of the site of the Sopara Stupa, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 21 May 2015.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- Jivdan monastery
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx. Lat 19.4559 Long 72.8114 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Virar.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Theravada
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- The author raises the possibility of Mauryan excavation, which would place them in
12. Date-intermediate
- [missing data]
13. Date-late
- [missing data]
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- Archaeological
16. Additional notes
- [missing data]
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
18. Known monks and nuns associated with this monastery
19. Available Printed Literature
- S. Nagaraju, Buddhist Architecture of Western India (c. 250 B.C. - C. A.D. 300) (Delhi: Agam Kala Prakashan, 1981) 130-132
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]
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