Mohra Muradu ( ur, ) is the place of an ancient

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

and monastery near the

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

Taxila Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and ...

, in the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

province of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. The ancient monastery is located in a valley and has views of the surrounding mountains. The monks could meditate in all stillness at this place but were near enough to the city of Sirsukh to go for begging as it is only around 1.5 km away. The city is said to have been built the 2nd century CE and renovated in the 5th century. The ruins consist of three distinct parts, which include the main stupa, a votive stupa and the monastery and have been included in the world heritage list of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

since 1980 under Taxila.

Excavation

The ruins of Mohra Muradu were excavated under the supervision of Sir

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...

by Abdul Qadir in 1914-1915. They consist of a Buddhistic monastery and two stupas. The main stupa is built on a foundation more than 4.75 meters high. The smaller, votive, stupa lies behind the bigger one.

Monastery

The monastery consists of 27 rooms for the students and the teachers built around a courtyard with a pool. The large, square shaped pool contained water for ritual washings and was about half a metre deep. Stairs to the pool were present on all sides. The monastery also contained a kitchen and a well for water that still functions today. The rain water was collected into the pool from the roof of the monastery over wooden extensions. Statues of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

are found abundantly in the courtyard and the rooms for the students. An assembly hall is also present in one corner of the monastery. The monastery was a double story building. Stairs to the upper story went through one of the rooms. There was additional connection through wooden constructions from the courtyard. The strength of the walls has, however, led to the idea that there might have existed even a third story.

Monumental votive stupa

The monument is found in one of the rooms of the monastery. It was probably dedicated to the memory of one of the teachers who used to live in the room where it is located. The umbrellas were once colored and the monument is about 4 meters high.

Gallery

Image:MohraMuraduPlan.JPG, Plan of the ruins of Mohra Muradu at

. Image:MohraMuraduWell.JPG, The well of Mohra Muradu, which is still in use. Image:MohraMuraduStairs.JPG, Stairs to the second floor. Image:MohraMuraduAssemblyHall.JPG, The assembly hall of the monastery. The bases of the supporting columns are visible. Image:MohraMuraduPool.JPG, The pool at Mohra Muradu. Image:MohraMuraduOldNew.JPG, Wall of the monastery. The part to the right is original, whereas to the left is the restored part. The division between the two is clearly marked. Mohra Moradu reliefs.jpg, Reliefs. Mohra Moradu sculpture.jpg, Bodhisattva. File:Mohra Muradu stupa in monastery cell.jpg, 1918 photograph of the votive stupa. Taxila map.jpg, Mohra Muradu is located to the northeast of

Sirkap Sirkap (Urdu and pnb, ) is the name of an archaeological site on the bank opposite to the city of Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan. The city of Sirkap was built by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius after he invaded modern-day Pakistan around 180 BC. ...

. {{Archaeological sites in Taxila , state=expanded Archaeological sites in Punjab, Pakistan Buddhist monasteries in Pakistan Stupas in Pakistan Taxila Tehsil Buddhist sites in Pakistan