Itumbaha

Our Itumbaha

Our Itumbahal Vihar The Bhaskardeva Samskarit Keshavachandra Krit Paravat Mahavihar INTRODUCTION                There are eighteen main Mahayana Buddhist Mahaviharas( Great Mahayana Buddhist Monasteries) in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Among them ITUMBA (Itumbahal) is one of the oldest and most important and famous Mahavihara built at the center of Kantipur city i.e. Kathmandu in the middle of 11th Century AD.  Its real and full name in Sanskrit language is Shree BhaskardevaSamskaritaSata Shree KeshavachandraKritParavatMahaviharai.e ITUMBA or Itumbahal in short form and welknown as in local language.   BUILDING OF BUDDHIST MONASTERIES (VIHARAS)               Shakyamuni Gautam Buddha had once preached to King Bimbisara that amongst the donations the donation of a BauddhaVihara is the best one where the Buddhist monks dwell in, learn and practice the teachings of the Buddhism and finally propagate Buddhism to the laity,the local residents. The teaching of the Buddha encouraged many kings and generous persons and were very much excited to start building Buddhist viharas for the Buddhist BhikshuSangha.             King Bimbisara for the first time built  VelubanVihara in then Sravasti City and donated to Shakyamuni Buddha. The Shakyas of then Kapilvastu Republic also built NigrodharamVihara for Shakyamuni Buddha to rest in when He returned to Kapilvastu after attaining the Enlightenment at Buddhagaya in 588 BC i.e. in the year 103 AnjanSamvat or MahaSamvat or ShakyaSamvat. Anathapindaka, the famous merchant and sincere devotee of Shakyamuni Buddha, bought land from Prince Jeta and built Jetavana Vihara and donated to the Buddhist Sangha as well. And so, after that many many Buddhist viharas (Monasteries) were built by rich and generous persons for getting good merit in this very rear human life.   THE FIRST SANGHA                Shakya Prince Siddhartha after viewing the four heart touching scenes of an old man, a sick man, a dead body and a calm and peaceful saint renounced the luxurious worldly life of the Royal Palace and spent an ascetic simple life roaming here and there in search of the supreme knowledge and eternal peace. After the hard practice of six years meditation at last, He was successful in attaining the supreme knowledge and had become the Buddha 2600 years ago under the holy Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya in the year 103 AnjanSamvat or MahaSamvat or ShakyaSamvat that is to say in 588 BC. He, first of all, carefully reexamined the knowledge he has attained for seven weeks by himself once again. Then after conforming that he has really attained the enlightenment without any doubt he gave his first Sermon to the five sages known as PANCHA VAGGIA on the full moon day of the month of ASHADA (July-August) at Mrigadavana; the Deer Park at Saranath in the year 103 AnjanSamvat or MahaSamvat or ShakyaSamvat that is to say in 588 BC i.e. 2600 years ago. All of the five sages became Bhikkus i.e. Buddhist Monks and thus laid the foundation of BhikkhuSangha and formed the first Buddhist Sangha by Shakyamuni, the Buddha himself 2600 years ago. The numbers of the Buddhists Sangha increased day by day. Most of the Shakya princes and other followers became Bhikkhus under the spiritual guidance of Shakyamuni Buddha. Those who had renounced the world and became Bhikkhu could not live in the general house. So separate dwelling places were built as the learning and living places for the Bhikkhus i.e. Buddhist monks. The dwelling places built for the Buddhist monks were known as Ashram or Viharai.e.Buddhist monasteries. So the Buddhist Viharas are as old as the Buddhism itself.   DONATION OF VIHARA              Therefore the history of Buddhist Viharas can be traced back to the 6th century B.C. Since then many Viharas were built at different places for the Buddhist monks by different persons of good wealth. One day King Bimbisara also donated Venubana for the Buddhist Sangha as Buddha had preached that amongst the donations the donation of Vihara is the best one where the Buddhist monks dwell in for the propagation of Buddhism. In Kathmandu, viharas were built during the period of Licchavi kings. The history book of ancient Nepal indicates at least twenty names of Buddhist Viharas of the Licchavi period in Katmandu valley.   ITUMBA : A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND             There were eighteen main Buddhist Mahaviharas in the Kathmandu valley. Among them Bhaskar deva Samskarita Shree Keshachandra Krit Paravata Mahavihara (Itumbaha) is one of the oldest and most important Vihara in Katmandu valley. It is believed that this Mahavihara is built after the visit of Shakyamuni Gautam Buddha in Kathmandu Valley for the Darshan of the Swayambhoo Jyotirupa Mahachaitya. It is built for those Buddhist monks who ordained into Buddhist order of the Sangha by hearing the preaching of the Buddha. That is why Itumbahal is one of the very ancient Mahayana Viharas of Kathmandu valley. The Dharmadutas of the Emperor Ashoka had visited this Vihara and had ordered to built an Ashokan Caitya here at Itumbahal which is still existing in proper condition at the center of the Vihara courtyard. However it very difficult to mention the accurate day and date on which the vihara was Constructed and consecrated. The most authentic historical evidences are yet to be found out regarding the accurate day and date of construction of this Vihara. Almost all of the historians, however believe that this Vihara is one of the oldest Viharas in the Kathmandu valley.             In Kathmandu valley most of the Buddhist Viharas were built during the period of Lichchhavi kings. If we analyze the Sanskrit names of the Vihara, we find the words as ” BhaskardevaSamskarita “. This means that the Vihara was brought into existence by the King Bhaskardeva that is to say the Vihara was built by Bhaskardeva. If we go through the Vamsavali; the chronicles of Nepal, we will find three such names :-