Country | India |
---|---|
State | Uttar Pradesh |
Location | 154 Kms from Agra |
Best time to visit | October to March |
Tourist places to visit | Asokan Bull Pillar inscription , Sri Lankan Buddhist School , Buddha Temple , Maya Devi Temple |
Significance | Lord Buddha descended here as Bodhisattva after teaching Abhidhamma in Tushita Heaven |
Nearby Tourist Places | Agra , Allahabad , Shravasti and Kaushambi |
It was a city that had existed in ancient India for a number of years before becoming the prominent and eventful place it is remembered as today. The primary importance held by the site is that of being the place where the Buddha supposedly returned to Earth from the heaven of 33 gods.
In the present day context, the site that used to be referred to as Sankasya is called Sankisa Basantpura, in the Farrukhabad District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Hindi and English are the most popular languages of this region, and the ideal time to visit would be between October to March, the weather being the most complimentary to outdoor exploration during this time.
According to Buddhist legend, after the Buddha performed his greatest miracles at Sravasti, he went on to preach the Abhidhamma Pitaka to his mother and 33 gods in Tavatimsa, and it was at Sankisa that he descended from this heaven accompanied by the gods and Brahma. As the legend goes, there appeared three ladders, one on the right made of gold for the gods, one in the middle, made of jewels, meant for the Buddha, and one on the left, made of silver, for the Maha Brahma.
It is widely believed that the temple found at the site today is the precise spot where the Buddha’s right foot touched mortal ground after coming back from the heavens. Further more, as part of the legend, the city gates of Sankisa is an “unchangeable” spot in the world all the Buddhas must descend to the mortal world after preaching the Abhidhamma at this precise spot.