Svastik Vihara

The Chinese pilgrim Yuan Chwang who visited South Kosala in 639 A.D. during the time of the Sarabhapuriya king Sudevaraja I has informed us of the existence of Sangharamas (Buddhist monasteries). The recently excavated Sasai Mahavihara may be assigned to the time of the Sarabhapuriyas on stylistic consideration while magnificent Buddhist monasteries like the Svastik Vihara and the Anandaprabha Kuti Vihara were known to have been constructed in Panduvamsi king Balarjuna’s time (later half of 8^th century A.D).

In 1955-56, Dr. Moreswar Gangadhar Dixit had excavated a mound at Sirpur where he found a large Buddhist Vihara. He named it as Svastik Vihara, because, the design of construction resembles the auspicious Svastik symbol. Presently this Vihara is without its roof, but the stone-and-brick superstructure is still in a good condition. In the middle of the Vihara, there is an open place and on its sides there are rows of three quarters each, where there is a central quarter, with its roof extant, contain a gigantic stone image of Buddha (8 ft. 6 inch) with Prabhamandala (ovoal aura) and in the Bhumisparsa-mudra (touching the earth). The Svastik Vihara contained a Sabha mandapa (assembly hall) in the middle, and residential chambers for three Bhiksus.

As far as the architecture is concerned, the Vihara executes brick masonry in the construction. It was really a very advanced technique of that time. Though this superstructure was a Buddhist Vihara, it possessed a royal grandeur.