Stupa at Jaulian

Jaulian, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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Jaulian are the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery in Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, dating back to the 5th century. Although the main stupa at Jaulian is badly damaged, its original structure has been preserved at some place.

The Stupa is surrounded by 21 votive stupas, which some experts believe to be tombs of revered monks. The Healing Buddha, a stone Buddha with a hole in his navel, is set in the north wall of the main stupa. The faithful would put their fingers in the hole and pray for a cure for their ailments. According to the Kharoshthi inscription below the statue, the statue was a gift from Budhamitra, presumably a rich pilgrim "who delighted in the law".

The votive stupa in the centre of the south side of the main stupa contained a relic chamber which is now in the museum. Some colossal Buddhas sit in a row across the south face of the main stupa. Their bodies made in the fifth century, are rather coarse and cumbersome, but their heads are finely and sensitively modeled. The heads have been removed to the museum for safety.