Phalgu River

The Phalgu or Falgu, a river that flows past Gaya, India in the Indian state of Bihar, is a sacred river for Hindus and Buddhists. In Hinduism, the river is regarded as the physical embodiment of Lord Vishnu. Its banks, particularly near the iconic Vishnupad Mandir, serve as a major pilgrimage site for pindadaan (ancestral rites), especially during the annual Pitru Paksha period. According to the Ramayana, the river's subterranean course at Gaya is the result of a curse placed upon it by Sita. In Buddhism, the Phalgu (historically known as the Niranjana) holds profound significance as the site where Gautama Buddha practiced asceticism prior to attaining enlightenment.

The Phalgu or Falgu, a river that flows past Gaya, India in the Indian state of Bihar, is a sacred river for Hindus and Buddhists. In Hinduism, the river is regarded as the physical embodiment of Lord Vishnu. Its banks, particularly near the iconic Vishnupad Mandir, serve as a major pilgrimage site for pindadaan (ancestral rites), especially during the annual Pitru Paksha period. According to the Ramayana, the river's subterranean course at Gaya is the result of a curse placed upon it by Sita. In Buddhism, the Phalgu (historically known as the Niranjana) holds profound significance as the site where Gautama Buddha practiced asceticism prior to attaining enlightenment.

Course

The Phalgu is formed by the confluence, some below Bodh Gaya, of the Lilajan (also called Niranjan or Nilanjan) and the Mohana, two large hill streams each of which is over wide. The Phalgu is also mentioned as Niranjan. The united stream flows on to the north past the town of Gaya, where it attains a breadth of over . The Phalgu here passes by a high rocky bank, on the steep sides of which are many paved stairs leading down to the river bed, while high above are the Vishnupad Mandir, with many minor shrines around it. It then runs in a north-easterly direction for about , and opposite the Barabar hills it again takes the name of Mohana, and divides into two branches which eventually flow into a branch of the Punpun. The Phalgu like its confluent streams, Lilajan and Mohana, is subject to high floods during the monsoons but in other seasons of the year it dwindles to a stream wandering through a wide expanse of sand.

Religious significance

Buddhism

Before attaining Enlightenment, the prince Siddhārtha Gautama practiced asceticism for six years (ten or twelve years according to some accounts) on the banks of the river, residing in a forest near the village of Uruvilvā. After realizing that strict asceticism would not lead to Enlightenment, he recuperated after bathing in the river and receiving a bowl of milk-rice from the milkmaid Sujātā. He sat under the nearby pippala tree, where he finally achieved Enlightenment. This tree became known as the Bodhi Tree, and the site became known as Bodh Gayā.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1367743778 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.