Khanpur Bhamala Buddhist Stupa- Pakistan

Address

Khanpur Bhamala Buddhist Stupa- Pambala, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Bhamala Stupa is a ruined Buddhist stupa and National Heritage Site near Haripur, Pakistan that dates to the 2nd century CE. It is located on the bank of Haro River, a tributary of a Khanpur Dam. Bhamala stupa is part of the larger Bhamala Buddhist Complex he site is known for its 1,700 year old statue of the Buddha attaining enlightenment – considered the oldest such statue in the world. This site is located on main Haripur Taxila road can be accessed through a small road at Khanpur. It is about 7km from the main road. It is National Heritage Site near Haripur.

Puranic Significance

It is nominated at UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The nomination leads to the restoration of the ruins (mainly the Stupa). The site, as of June 2015, is under the control of Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Government of Pakistan. The site is believed to be one of the best preserved sites in the Taxila Valley. The stupa has a characteristic cruciform plan, with flights of stairs in the four cardinal directions, which is one of the last steps of the evolution of the Gandhara stupa, The Bhamala stupa is dated to the 2nd-5th century CE. The cruciform design further evolved to the towering design of the second Kanishka stupa the shape of main stupa is cruciform and it is the biggest surviving example of this shape in Taxila and Gandhara region. The stupa is cross shaped and looks like an Aztec Pyramid. There are about nineteen but small votive stupas in courtyard surrounding the main stupa.