Balrampur is a city and a municipal board in Balrampur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated on the bank of river Rapti and is the district headquarters of Balarampur district. Balrampur was a state in India. It is divided in 1748 and a part of U.P.
Demographics
Balrampur had a population as of 2011 census is 90000.
Historical significance
Balrampur city is in close vicinity of Shravasti where Lord Gautam Buddha is considered to have displayed his supernatural powers in the spiritual transformation of Angulimala, a famous dacoit who wore a necklace (mala) of fingers (anguli).
In the Mughal era, Balrampur was the seat of Balrampur Estate, a Taluqdari of Oudh.
Geography
Balrampur is located at 27.43°N 82.18°E. It has an average elevation of 105 metres (344 ft).
Archaeological sites
Two prominent archaeological sites, Jetavana and Savatthi, or Saheth and Maheth, as they are locally known, are located in the vicinity of Balrampur city. Alexander Cunningham used the ancient (6th century CE) accounts of Chinese pilgrim-monks to determine that Saheth-Maheth actually referred to Jetavana and Savatthi.
Saheth, covering an area of 32 acres, was the site of the Jetavana monastery. It became an important place of pilgrimage, adorned with numerous shrines, stupas and monasteries. The stupas belong mostly to the Kushan period, while the temples are in the Gupta style. The remains date from the Mauryan era (3rd century BCE) to the 12th century CE. One of the earliest stupas, contained relics of the Buddha. A colossal statue of the Buddha was also found here which is now preserved in the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
Maheth covers an area of about 400 acres (160 ha), and has been identified with the remains of the city proper and is located about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to the north-east of Saheth. Excavations have exposed the massive gates of the city, ramparts and also the ruins of other structures which testify to the prosperity of ancient Sravasti. The Sobhanath Temple is located here. The ruins of Maheth includes two stupas. One stupa, known as Pakki Kuti, is said to be that of Angulimala while the other, known as Kachchi Kuti, is believed to be that of Sudatta, a disciple of Buddha.[6] Pakki Kuti and Kacchi Kuti were later converted into Brahmanical temples.
Emperor Ashoka visited Jetavana, and the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen- Tsang (Xuanzang)mentions two Ashokan pillars at Sravasti. Other places of interest include the Swarnagandha Kuti where Gautama Buddha lived. In Jetavana is also located the second-holiest tree of Buddhism: the Anandabodhi Tree.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balrampur
