Monuments of the Gandhara Civilization at Taxila - 04 (Jaulian)
This is my fourth post about the monuments of the Gandhara Civilization at Taxila. In my previous articles, I gave my readers a brief introduction to the Gandhara civilization, the museum at Taxila, the stupa at Dharmarajika, the holiest of Buddhist sites in this region and Pipplan. In this article, I shall take my readers on a tour of a very beautiful site, called Jaulian, my favourite.
This site is located at 33°45'54.0"N, 72°52'29.5"E, on a small hill, and visitors will have to ascend almost 50 meters from the parking area. Proper stairs have been constructed and the path is safe, without any hindrance or trouble. However, hundreds of stairs will take a test of your stamina. But believe me, this little trouble is nothing compared to what you will find above.
The monuments at Jaulian are highly ornamented and in a better state of preservation. These were constructed during the Kushan period, in the 2nd century AD. During this period the capital of Taxila was at Sirsukh, 2.5 kilometers to the west. This complex covers an area of almost one acre and has two main components, a group of many stupas and statues of Buddha in the west and a monastery in the east. All these stupas have lost their domes and cylindrical drums, but their square bases are still adorned with elaborate stucco reliefs. Some of these figures are some of the best-preserved of their kind.
The monastery closely resembles the one at Mohra Moradu and other sites. The building is almost square in shape, with rooms on its four sides. Besides, the room for living there are assembly hall, storeroom, refractory, kitchen, and a bathroom.
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