Vaishali

An Ashoka pillar in Kolhua near Vaishali. It was erected on the spot where the Buddha is said to have delivered his last sermon before entering nirvana

Vaishali ( Pali : Vesali) was an important city in ancient India in today's state of Bihar , 40 km northwest of today's Patna between the Ganges and the Himalayas . Vaishali was in the 5th century BC. The capital of the Republic of the Licchavis , which belonged to the Vajji Confederation . It is said to have had multi-storey houses, crenellated houses , groves and lotus ponds, allegedly 7707 each. The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama often visited Vaishali, where the courtesan Ambapali gave him a vihara . Some important lectures are said to have been given here and the founding of the order of nuns to have been decided. After the Buddha's death, the king of Magadha , Ajatasattu , subjugated the republic and conquered Vaishali. 386 BC The 2nd Buddhist Council was held in Vaishali .

In 1958 a small bowl with bone fragments, ashes and various additions was discovered in a stupa ; possibly the relics of the Buddha assigned to the Licchavis .

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Commons : Vaishali  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 25 ° 59 ′ 11.7 "  N , 85 ° 7 ′ 32.1"  E