Mahabodhi Vihara, Hyderabad, India

high-definition creative commons photographs from Mahabodhi Vihara, Hyderabad, India together with further information.

 

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The Mahābodhi Vihāra

The land for what is now the Mahabodhi Vihara (Mahābodhi Vihāra) in Secunderabad, Hyderabad was made available by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Śrī Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, who was just one of many Chief Ministers to support the project over the years. The main patron since the beginning is the Mahā Upāsaka, Mr. Anjaneya Reddy.

The initial temple built here was called the Ānanda Buddha Vihāra, and was opened by HH Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, on 6th April 2003 (2546), but after a few years it was given to the Mahābodhi Society in Bangalore.

Various additions have been added to the original buildings, including a sīma in 2015, a Bodhi Tree complex, and a Buddha Dhātu Stūpa in 2019. Presently they have started building meditation quarters, owing to the generous donation of the present Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy.

001 General View of the Buddha Dhātu Stūpa

01 General View of the Buddha Dhātu Stūpa

The Buddha Dhātu Stūpa

The Buddha relic for the stūpa was provided by Ajahn Dun, and was enshrined by Bhikkhu Bodhi in the presence of Ven Hikkaduwe Visuddhānanda, with Ven Kassapa presiding on 13th January 2019. The stūpa is designed in Amaravati-style, with reliefs illustrating the life of the Buddha on the drum.

002 Buddha Dhātu Stūpa from Above

02 Buddha Dhātu Stūpa from Above

003 Entrance to the Buddha Dhātu Stūpa

03 Entrance to the Buddha Dhātu Stūpa

004 Front of the Toraṇa

04 Front of the Toraṇa

005 The Back of the Toraṇa

05 The Back of the Toraṇa

006 Dhammacakka on the Toraṇa

06 Dhammacakka on the Toraṇa

007 Umbrella on the Toraṇa

07 Umbrella on the Toraṇa

008 Entrance Guardian

08 Entrance Guardian

009 Entrance Guardian

09 Entrance Guardian

010 Elephant Guard

10 Elephant Guard

011 Elephant Guard

11 Elephant Guard

012 Buddha in Meditation

12 Buddha in Meditation

The Life of the Buddha

013 The Conception

13 The Conception

The conception shows Mahāmāyā lying on a bed with her eyes closed, while the Four Great Kings surround and protect her during the night. At the bottom centre we see a female musician who has fallen asleep on her drum, indicating this is night time. Strangely, the elephant who entered her side during the night is not shown here. In the sky on the right we see the full Āsāḷha (July) moon.

014 The Birth

14 The Birth

The birth of the Bodhisatta in the Park at Lumbini is shown on this relief. Queen Mahāmāya is shown holding a branch of the Sāla tree (Shorea robusta), holding cloth are the Four Great Kings, and Devas are seen in the sky around. The Bodhisatta himself is not seen but is represented by the waterpot at his mother’s feet, recalling the text from the Mahā-ummagga Jātaka: “...as he came from his mother’s womb she did not feel the slightest pain, but he passed out as easily as water from a sacred water-pot.”

015 The Prince in the Palace

15 The Prince in the Palace

Prince Siddhattha is seen in his palace surrounded by female musicians holding vinas and drums, many of whom have fallen asleep. They lie around in various poses, being dishevelled and unattractive. It is this scene that precedes the renunciation, and is out of position here, as it should come after the following signs.

016 Three of the Signs

16 Three of the Signs

The Bodhisatta goes into the town with Channa, his charioteer, and sees an old man, a sick man and a dead man, which makes him question his comfortable existence in the palace, as he finds out these things he too must suffer.

017 The Fourth Sign

17 The Fourth Sign

After seeing the first three signs, which warn of the dangers of Saṁsāra, on his next trip he sees a mendicant living peaceably in the forest, and finds out he is seeking release from suffering, and determines on the same path for himself.

018 The Great Renunciation

18 The Great Renunciation

The Bodhisatta determines on leaving the palace and seeking out the truth and liberation. Here he is seen on his favourite horse Kanthaka. The hooves of the horse are cushioned by Devas so his leaving doesn’t wake anyone to his intent. Channa holds an umbrella over the prince as he follows behind.

019 The Striving

19 The Striving

After attaining higher levels of meditation the Bodhisatta strives for six years undertaking strict practices of asceticism. Around him stand people worshipping and ready to offer nurishment when he is ready to take it.

020 The Group of Five Leave the Bodhisatta

20 The Group of Five Leave the Bodhisatta

The Bodhisatta eventually realises the way of asceticism is not the way to Awakening, and decides to seek balance by taking reasonable nurishment again. The group of five seen with him in this relief think it means he has given up striving altogether and decide to leave him.

021 Māra Attacks the Bodhisatta

21 Māra Attacks the Bodhisatta

The Bodhisatta takes up his place on the Invincible Throne, which is where Māra, in a last desperate effort to prevent him, brings his hordes to attack him. Māra himself is seated on the elephant Girimekhala, and wild animals like lions, boar, bulls and snakes surround the Bodhisatta, who, however, remains unmoved.

022 The Four Great Kings Offer a Bowl

22 The Four Great Kings Offer a Bowl

After his Awakening the Buddha spent seven weeks around the Bodhi Tree, after which Bhallika and Tapussa wished to offer food to the Buddha. As he no longer had a bowl, the Four Great Kings came and offered bowls to him, which merged and became one as seen here.

023 Buddha Teaching

23 Buddha Teaching

024 In the Deer Park

24 In the Deer Park

The Buddha went to Isipatana to offer his first systematic teachings to the former group of five. In the relief we see not five but six monastics on the Buddha’s left, which seems to be a mistake. The rest of the figures represent the Devas and men he will now dedicate his life to teaching.

025 The Buddha and Monastics

25 The Buddha and Monastics

After the group of five had attained Arahatship, and following the teaching on the discourse on no self, Yasa, a young man from a good family, also ordains. It is possible the six monastics we see in this relief represent these six, though the number makes it ambiguous.

026 King Bimbisāra Offers Veḷuvana

26 King Bimbisāra Offers Veḷuvana

The Buddha kept his promise made before his Awakening to return to Rājagaha and teach King Bimbisāra. The King, seeing his wishes fulfilled, offered a dāna to the Buddha and his monastics, and afterwards offered the Veḷuvana (Bamboo Grove) as a suitable place for them to reside while staying in the city. Here we see the King pouring the waters of donation over the Buddha’s hands, with his Queen to his left. This is the first monastery, and is seen as the establishment of the Sāsana.

027 The Meeting at Kapilavatthu

27 The Meeting at Kapilavatthu

I am not sure about this relief, but it probably represents the Buddha’s meeting with his family at Kapilavatthu. We see seven royal figures on the left of the relief and two monastics on the right. The Buddha is sat with one leg pendulant teaching in the middle.

028 Anāthapiṇḍika Offers Jetavana

28 Anāthapiṇḍika Offers Jetavana

The rich merchant Anāthapiṇḍika first met the Buddha in Rājagaha, where he was visiting his brother-in-law. He invited the Buddha to come and teach in Sāvatthi in Kosala, and meanwhile acquired the Jetavana for their residence. On the right we see Anāthapiṇḍika pouring the waters of donation. In the centre a servant lays gold coins to cover the Grove his master is buying.

029 The Taming of Nālagiri

29 The Taming of Nālagiri

There are two scenes in this relief. On the right we see the enraged elephant Nālagiri running amock, trampling down people in his way, while on the left the Buddha tames him with his mettā, or loving-kindness.

030 Cunda Offers the Last Meal

30 Cunda Offers the Last Meal

Cunda the smith offers a meal to the Buddha, which was to be his last meal. Having given up the life-force (āyusaṅkhāra) some three months earlier the Buddha traveled on after the meal to Kusinārā.

031 The Great Emancipation

31 The Great Emancipation

In Kusinārā the Buddha lay down between two Sāla trees, and to the distress of all but the Arahats, passed away. Ānanda stands at his head. What is presumably Subhadda, the last monastic ordained while the Buddha lived sits with his back to us, having left the tripod he had previously carried at the side.

032 The Division of the Relics

32 The Division of the Relics

When the Buddha had passed away and been cremated a war almost broke out between claimants for the relics. That is when the Brahmin Doṇa came forward and divided the relics into eight portions, which we see being carried off on elephants in this relief. There were two more relics: one of the measure that had been used to make the division; and another of the charcoal from the cremation. These are not pictured here though.

The Five-Pillared Āyaka

At Amarāvatī and other Andhran stūpas part of the design was to include Āyaka platforms at the cardinal points, these generally had five pillars which had symbols indicating five main events from the Buddha’s life story: the elephant, which appeared to Queen Mahāmāyā in a dream, respesents the conception; the horse upon which Sidhhattha set out on his quest for Awakening represents the Great Renunciation; the Bodhi Tree with an empty seat, is an aniconic representation of the Buddha at the Awakening; the deer and Dhammacakka signal the First Teaching; and the stūpa represents the passing away.

033 The Five-Pillared Āyaka

33 The Five-Pillared Āyaka

034 The Birth

34 The Birth

035 The Renunciation

35 The Renunciation

036 The Awakening

36 The Awakening

037 The First Teaching

37 The First Teaching

038 The Passing Away

38 The Passing Away

039 Side View of the Dome

39 Side View of the Dome

040 View of the Dome

40 View of the Dome

041 The Decorations

41 The Decorations

042 The Harmika

42 The Harmika

043 The Umbrella

43 The Umbrella

044 Moonstone at the Doorway

44 Moonstone at the Doorway

045 A Toraṇa and Dhammacakka

45 A Toraṇa and Dhammacakka

046 28-Spoked Dhammacakka

46 28-Spoked Dhammacakka

The Bodhi Tree

The Bodhi Tree has been planted on a raised platform within an amphitheatre, where monastics and others can sit to hear teachings, or where they can meditate in peace.

047 Bodhi Tree Amphitheatre

47 Bodhi Tree Amphitheatre

048 The Bodhi Tree

48 The Bodhi Tree

049 Buddha Holding Teaching Mudra

49 Buddha Holding Teaching Mudra

The Main Shrine Hall

The design of the main shrine hall follows the great shrine at Karle in Maharasthra, one of the earliest and most beautiful of the cave temples of that state. It has many interesting features including a cut-away aniconic Buddha above the door; and stained glass windows depicting Jātaka stories.

050 The Main Shrine Hall

50 The Main Shrine Hall

051 Dhammacakka

51 Dhammacakka

052 Dhammacakka with Cut-Away Buddha

52 Dhammacakka with Cut-Away Buddha

053 The Main Door

53 The Main Door

054 Deva Greetings

54 Deva Greetings

055 Above the Door

55 Above the Door

056 Door and View Out

56 Door and View Out

057 The Main Shrine

57 The Main Shrine

058 Buddha Statue and Lighting

58 Buddha Statue and Lighting

059 Buddha with Sāriputta and Moggallāna

59 Buddha with Sāriputta and Moggallāna

060 Dīghitikosala Jātaka

60 Dīghitikosala Jātaka

061 Sumedha and Dīpaṅkara Buddha

61 Sumedha and Dīpaṅkara Buddha

062 Mahāpaduma Jātaka

62 Mahāpaduma Jātaka

063 Matakabhatta Jātaka

63 Matakabhatta Jātaka

064 Sāsa Jātaka

64 Sāsa Jātaka

065 Kavikumāra Jātaka

65 Kavikumāra Jātaka

066 Sibi Jātaka

66 Sibi Jātaka

067 Maccha Jātaka

67 Maccha Jātaka

068 Mahāhaṁsa Jātaka

68 Mahāhaṁsa Jātaka

069 Kaṭṭhahāri Jātaka

69 Kaṭṭhahāri Jātaka

070 Naḷinikā Jātaka

70 Naḷinikā Jātaka

071 Saṅkhapāla Jātaka

71 Saṅkhapāla Jātaka

072 Pillars Outside Main Shrine Hall

72 Pillars Outside Main Shrine Hall

073 Buddha’s Footprints

73 Buddha’s Footprints

074 Stupa for Ven Ānandamitra

74 Stupa for Ven Ānandamitra

075 Stupa for Ven Buddharakkhita

75 Stupa for Ven Buddharakkhita

076 Inside the Sīma

76 Inside the Sīma

077 Illuminated Bodhi Tree

77 Illuminated Bodhi Tree

My thanks are due to the head monk Ven. Buddhapāla, and the three other monks in the temple: Ven Kalyāṇasiri, Ven Jinavaṁsa and Ven Saṅghapāla for making my stay comfortable, and informing me about the history of the temple. Ven Saṅghapāla also showed me around the temple, and traveled with me to Kanaganahalli. I am also in debt to the kind novices who looked after me while I was in the temple, especially Ven Bodhisena, with whom I had a number of Dhamma discussions.

 

Photographs by Anandajoti Bhikkhu

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