ANANDAPUR
THE Anarta Kingdom disappeared after the Kurukshetra war of the Mahabharata period. Anartapur no more remained a capital city and seat of power. In its west a new and powerful city of Vallabhi became the capital of Gujarat. But Anartapur continued to be an important trading city. The surrounding region was fertile and produced good harvests. People were prosperous and happy. It remained to be the cultural center of the region. It supported artists, sculptors, musicians, dancers, and actors. Fine arts like music and drama flourished. Also, the city hosted a number of festivals all round the year. There was palpable joy, merriment, and happiness in the air of the place. By the second century it came to be known as the City of Joy or Anadapur. It attracted many visitors from far and near.
These were the times when two great religions – Buddhism and Jainism – were sweeping the sub-continent and indeed beyond. Soon the prosperous city of joy Anandapur attracted monks and followers from both these new religions. The city supported hundreds of Buddhist monks. Their monasteries sprang up around the place. Recent accidental findings of a finely carved head of Buddha and other artifacts by a farmer on his farm very close to the city show the presence of Buddhism. The famous Chinese traveler Hsuan-Tsang visited Anandapur in the seventh century and wrote about the city in his chronicles. Buddhism must have a presence here for several centuries. Systematic diggings may reveal much more about Buddhist influence in the region.
After ninth century Buddhism declined here as elsewhere in the sub-continent. Jainism began asserting all over Gujarat. Two beautiful Jain temples standing in the very heart of the city provide ample evidence as to the influence of Jainism in the place. During the Solanki period (10th to 13th centuries) the city continued to be a prosperous center in the region.
THE Anarta Kingdom disappeared after the Kurukshetra war of the Mahabharata period. Anartapur no more remained a capital city and seat of power. In its west a new and powerful city of Vallabhi became the capital of Gujarat. But Anartapur continued to be an important trading city. The surrounding region was fertile and produced good harvests. People were prosperous and happy. It remained to be the cultural center of the region. It supported artists, sculptors, musicians, dancers, and actors. Fine arts like music and drama flourished. Also, the city hosted a number of festivals all round the year. There was palpable joy, merriment, and happiness in the air of the place. By the second century it came to be known as the City of Joy or Anadapur. It attracted many visitors from far and near.
These were the times when two great religions – Buddhism and Jainism – were sweeping the sub-continent and indeed beyond. Soon the prosperous city of joy Anandapur attracted monks and followers from both these new religions. The city supported hundreds of Buddhist monks. Their monasteries sprang up around the place. Recent accidental findings of a finely carved head of Buddha and other artifacts by a farmer on his farm very close to the city show the presence of Buddhism. The famous Chinese traveler Hsuan-Tsang visited Anandapur in the seventh century and wrote about the city in his chronicles. Buddhism must have a presence here for several centuries. Systematic diggings may reveal much more about Buddhist influence in the region.
After ninth century Buddhism declined here as elsewhere in the sub-continent. Jainism began asserting all over Gujarat. Two beautiful Jain temples standing in the very heart of the city provide ample evidence as to the influence of Jainism in the place. During the Solanki period (10th to 13th centuries) the city continued to be a prosperous center in the region.