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Giriyak | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Giriyak stupa is located in Giriyak community development block of Nalanda district, Patna division, Bihar, India | |
  Location in Bihar, India  Giriyak (India) | |
| Coordinates: 25°01′40″N 85°31′42″E / 25.02778°N 85.52833°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Bihar |
| District | Nalanda |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Unofficial | Magahi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 803109 |
| Nearest city | Rajgir |
Giriyak is a village and community development block located on the bank of the Panchane River in Nalanda district of Bihar, India.[1] It is located about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) east of Rajgir, 26 kilometres (16 miles) south of Bihar Sharif, the district headquarters, and 95 kilometres (59 miles) southeast of Patna, the state capital.
Giriyak stupa — a Gupta-era Buddhist stupa — is located on the western side of the Panchane River, opposite the village of Giriyak.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
Epic and Puranic Era[edit | edit source]
Giriyak is deeply connected to the ancient region of Magadha. According to historical geographers and ancient texts, the Giriyak region forms the eastern extremity of the ancient capital of Girivraja (modern Rajgir), acting as a natural fortified entrance to the valley.[3]
In the Bala Kanda (Sarga 32) of the Valmiki Ramayana, Sage Vishwamitra narrates the history of this region to Rama and Lakshmana. He describes the land as Vasumati, a great city established by King Vasu, which is completely surrounded by five prominent mountains (Pancha parvata).[4] The text mentions a crystal-clear river named Sumagadhi flowing through these five hills, which historical geographers universally identify with the modern Panchane River that flows alongside Giriyak today.[5]
Archaeological Significance[edit | edit source]
The area is highly significant in Indian archaeology. The Giriyak Hill, which stands on the western bank of the Panchane River, houses the ruins of an ancient brick Stupa known as the Giriyak Stupa, built on a cylindrical base. British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham extensively surveyed the region in the 19th century and identified the Giriyak hill with the Indrasala-guha (Indrasala Cave) mentioned by the 7th-century Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang).[6] Xuanzang recorded a local Buddhist legend of a Hamsa (goose) stupa at this specific location. Today, the ruins reflect the continuous historical importance of the Rajgir-Giriyak mountainous corridor spanning from the Mahabharata era through the Mauryan and Gupta periods.
Demographics[edit | edit source]
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, the population Giriyak was 96,845, of which 50,124 are male and 46,721 are female.[7]
Transportation[edit | edit source]
NH 20 passes through the town connecting it with Pawapuri and Bihar Sharif. State Highway SH 71 connects it with Rajgir and Barbigha.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Blocks & Circles | District Nalanda, Government of Bihar | India".
- ↑ Cunningham, Alexander (1871). Four reports made during the years 1862-63-64-65. Vol. 1. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India: Archaeological Survey of India. pp. 16–20.
- ↑ Dey, Nundo Lal (1927). The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India. London: Luzac & Co. pp. 70–71.
- ↑ Robert P. Goldman, ed. (1984). The Ramayana of Valmiki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume I: Balakanda. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691014852.
- ↑ Law, Bimala Churn (1954). Historical Geography of Ancient India. Paris: Société Asiatique. p. 255.
- ↑ Cunningham, Alexander (1871). Archaeological Survey of India: Four Reports Made During the Years 1862-63-64-65, Volume I. Simla: Government Central Press. pp. 16–34.
- ↑ "Giriak Population (2021/2022), Block Village List in Nalanda, Bihar". Archived from the original on 24 July 2014.
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