Mankiala

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Mankiala Stupa
Relic deposits from the Mankiala Stupa in the British Museum

Mankiala (also known as Manikyala and Manikiyala) is a village in the Potohar plateau, Punjab near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, known for its Buddhist stupa. It is located some 50 km from Islamabad, beyond Rawat Fort.[1]

Origin of the name

The name Mankiala is said to be derived from Raja Man or Manik.

Mankiala Stupa

Mankiala Stupa is a Gandhara era stupa built to memorialize the place where, according to legend, Buddha sacrificed some of his body parts to feed seven hungry tiger cubs.[1]

History

It was built in the reign of Kanishka (128-151 AD). [1] Mountstuart Elphinstone, the first British emissary to Afghanistan chanced upon this stupa in 1808 AD and penned a detailed account in his memoir 'Kingdom of Caubul' (1815). According to an inscription on a stone the stupa was restored in 1891 by a regiment of the British Indian Army. Raja Usman was architect.

The stupa's relic deposits, all now in the British Museum, were found by Jean-Baptiste Ventura in 1830 between 10 and 20 metres below the top of the dome. They were at one stage owned by the celebrated antiquarian James Prinsep.[2]

The mouth of the stupa has a gaping hole as a result of excavations by relic hunters in the past. It now has a barrier around it for safety reasons.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Islamabad Tourist Treasures, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad Pg 1
  2. ↑ The British Museum Collection
Neighbourhoods of Rawalpindi
Capital
Tehsils
Union councils
Villages and locallities

Coordinates: 33°30′N 74°20′E / 33.500°N 74.333°E / 33.500; 74.333

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