Works to preserve Sagarahawa begin

By Narad Kohar 

Taulihawa, Aug 23 : Works to preserve the historical place of Sagarahawa, where thousands of Shakyas were massacred by the king Virudhaka, have begun. Now works to build compound walls and gates are in progress.  

According to the archeologist, Shakyas had shifted to Sagarahawa after Tilaurako was totally damaged, but Virudhaka arrived in Sagarhawa and killed the Shakyas en masse. A pond is now there. 

Locals call this place the Lambusagar. Sagarhawa is located in-between the Tilaurakot and Niglihawa.

The area needs to be developed due to its historical importance because the area is connected with the Shakyas, the clan in which Prince Siddartha was born, said Basista Tiwari, a local. 

Siddartha later became the Buddha. 

Dr. Alois Anton Fuhrer carried out the first excavation in 1897 AD in Sagarahawa on the west and south side of the pond and uncovered the relic of 17 stupas, said Basanta Bidari, former archeologist of Lumbini Development Trust. 

He said, “The ruins of eight stupas were uncovered in the south part and nine in the western part of the pond.” 

During the excavation, structures of well and Bihar were discovered. 

Bidari said that Purna Chandra Mukharjee 1899 had documented the excavated 17 stupas.  

The site was discovered based on the evidence mentioned by Chinese pilgrim Huian Tsang in the 7th century.   

Preparations are underway to develop a master plan to build Shakya Memorial Park in Sagarahawa, said Awadhesh Tripathi, vice-chairman of Lumbini Development Trust. 

He further said that the draft of the master plan would complete within two months. It has already completed the survey and other necessary tasks for the area. 

The LDT has begun construction of a 360-meter safety wall and gate at a cost of Rs. 9.4 million to protect the historical site, said Saroj Bhattarai, chief of planning of the LDT. 

A gate similar to one inside the Lumbini Master Plan will be built in Sagarahawa, said Bhattarai. No additional excavation has been carried out in Sagarahawa since 1899 AD. 

A survey conducted in 2018 showed that more historical structures are around the pond.