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Rajgir

If the city of Rajgir is currently considered a small town, since this locality of Bihar in northern India has only about 40,000 inhabitants, it is of undeniable historical importance.

Evidence of the existence of a city at the site of present-day Rajgir has been found dating to at least 1000 BC. A fortification wall that stretched 40 kilometers around Rajgir estimated to be over 2,500 years old is the oldest such wall.

Rajgir was once the capital of the kingdom of Magadha which was to evolve into the Maurya empire in 322 BC and whose territory covered the entire subcontinent with the exception of the far south, the current states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Rajgir was replaced as the capital of Magdha for the benefit of Patna in the 5th century BC.

The city of Rajgir is a sacred city for both Buddhism and Jainism. Buddha spent several months there meditating and teaching the precepts of Buddhism. It is also in Rajgir that took place the first Buddhist Council, convened just after the death of Buddha in 483 before our era, in the cave of Saptaparni.

Mahavira, one of the most revered great sages of Jainism spent 14 years there in the 6th century BC.

Several caves of unquestionable religious and historical importance can be found in Rajgir.

Peace Pagoda, Vishwa Shanti Stupa

But in this film it is about a much more recent monument. On top of a hill is a Japanese temple. This is the Peace Pagoda or Vishwa Shati Stupa built in 1969 to spread a message of peace and non-violence. A neo-Buddhist group in Japan named Nipponzan Myohhoji built 80 pagodas of peace around the world. Rajgir's is the oldest one outside of Japan.

The Vishwa Shanti Stupa is pristine white and is approximately 36 meters high and has a diameter of 33 meters.

 Spoken comments in the film: 

If India is in its majority of Hindu religion, the Buddhist places of worship are not rare, especially in the North of India. 

Located south of the Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan and the Indian state of Sikkim) Bihar is the cradle of some of the main religions of the world including Buddhism and Jainism). 

Some high places of Buddhism in the state of Bihar are Bodhgaya where Buddha attained enlightenment, the great ancient Buddhist university of Nalanda and Rajgir where Buddha spent several years of his life and pronounced many sermons. 

Rajgir means "House of the King" which reminds us that this small town was once the capital of Magadh Mahajanpad.

 

about the place, Rajgir:

Historians do not agree on the founding of the city of Rajgir, but ceramics dating back to 1000 years before our era have been found during excavations.

The city has been an important place for Buddhism as well as for Jainism. Jain masters taught their philosophy to Rajgir around the same time that Buddha was preaching.