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It was in that quest for such wisdom that he must have climbed this hill, wandering in search of a suitable place like a meditation cave. He walked. Holding that same conviction, I set out walking up the slope of Dungeshwar Hill.

Dungeshwar Hill


-by Govind Belbase
20 Jun, 2025

There is a cave on the flank of this hill. In that cave, the Buddha is said to have sat in meditation for six months.

The Buddha had left the palace and comforts of Kapilavastu to wander in search of wisdom. I often try to imagine the time and state of his being after leaving the palace. I try to picture it. It was on that quest for wisdom, gathering the experience of suffering, that he must have reached this Dungeshwar Hill. I, too, have come...

He likely did not know there was a cave suitable for meditation on this hill's flank. He must have wandered the hillside searching for a natural, suitable place to sit and meditate. Monks, professors, and writers who have studied and researched also say the same...

Ancient texts tell us many sages performed austerities in the Himalayan foothills. Yet, he chose not to go near the cold Himalayas, but towards the warmth of the Gangetic plains. He may not have found a teacher to impart the wisdom he sought...

Dayananda Saraswati, too, dissatisfied with traditional narratives, wasted much time searching for a true guru to impart correct knowledge. I find a proximity between the knowledge imparted to him by Guru Virjanand and the wisdom attained by the Buddha...

I perceive the non-dual wisdom Dayananda received from his guru and the Buddha's wisdom as similar. Both philosophies, as I understand, culminate in the understanding that the state of the human mind itself is the cause of suffering...

Dayananda wandered, ready to learn from whichever guru he met, yet always searching for another who might impart more satisfying knowledge. The Buddha, however, seemingly unconvinced that wisdom could be fully received from a guru, came to Dungeshwar Hill...

I believe a Padmapani image depicting the Buddha's state before leaving the palace, before reaching this hill, must have been created. Variations in Padmapani depictions are found across different time periods...

It was in that quest for such wisdom that he must have climbed this hill, wandering in search of a suitable place like a meditation cave. He walked. Holding that same conviction, I set out walking up the slope of Dungeshwar Hill...

I began the ascent, squeezing through the gap between the toilet and the cowshed, stepping carefully on the rocky path... I started enjoying the solitude, climbing higher...

Medieval Stupa on Dungeshwar Hill

I had climbed only a little way up that Nake Ukaalo when a dog appeared... But there was no human habitation nearby. The sky was clearing, and the morning's slanting sun rays brought delight...

Climbing further, I came upon a saddle ridge. From there, the path seemed to descend towards the other side. A beautiful green cleft was visible...

At that saddle, I rested for a while... My mind urged, "Walk on, reach the summit quickly," pushing me not to rest long...

I was alone, yet enjoying myself. The morning's crimson sun rays and the gentle breeze played a sweet melody, entertaining me...

Medieval Stupa on Dungeshwar Hill

Near that tower, I saw two people... The young man was cooking vegetables on a wood stove... The young woman said she was from Switzerland. The young man said he was from Goa...

Medieval Stupa on Dungeshwar Hill

They looked different from the image of ascetics I had imagined... I wasn’t particularly hungry... Apologizing for not being able to join their meal, I bid them farewell...

In one place, Buddhist prayer flags were strung... The activities of devout followers, driven by faith in earning spiritual merit, were evident...

Climbing further, I reached a small hillock. On it stood a stupa made of very old bricks...

Climbing steadily, I reached the summit. There too, stood a similar brick stupa...

Medieval Stupa on Dungeshwar Hill

On that summit, I moistened my throat with the remaining water in my bottle. It was now empty...

From the hillock, I called my friend. “Can you see my white bag waving from down there?” I asked...

After descending, we had planned to go to the place where Sujata offered kheer (rice pudding) to the Buddha and then to the Bodhi Tree...

On the way down... I encountered two barefoot, dark-skinned children... I spontaneously handed them the packet of biscuits and almonds I had carried “in case I got hungry.”

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