Khukhundo

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.)

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Khukhundo was one of the Buddhist places visited by Xuan Zang in 637 AD.

Visit by Xuanzang in 636 AD

Alexander Cunningham writes that On leaving Kusinagara, Hwen Thsang directed his steps towards Banaras, and after having travelled about 200 li, or 33 miles, to the south-west, he reached a large town where lived a Brahman who was devoted to Buddhism. If we adhere rigidly to the south-west bearing, we must identify this large town with Sahankat, near Rudrapur. But this place has already been identified with Pippalavana, and is not upon the high-road to Banaras. As Hwen Thsang specially mentions the Brahman's hospitality to travellers going and coming, it is certain that the large town must have been on the high-road between Kusinagara and Banaras. Now the high-road could never have passed through Rudrapur, as it would have en-tailed the passage of the Rapti in addition to that of the Ghagra, while Rudrapur itself is not on the direct line to Banaras. It is quite clear that the high-road must have crossed the Ghagra somewhere below the junction of the Rapti. According to the people, the old passage of- the Ghagra was at Mahili, 4 miles to

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[p.434]: the south of Kahaon, and 7 miles below the confluence of the two rivers. From Kasia to the Mahili Ghat the route would have passed through the ancient towns of Khuhkundo and Kahaon, both of which still possess many remains of antiquity. But the former is only 28 miles from Kasia, while the latter is 35 miles. Both are undoubtedly Brahmanical ; but while the ruins at Khukhundo are nearly all of middle age, those at Kahaon are at least as old as the time of Skanda Gupta, who lived several centuries before the time of Hwen Thsang. I am inclined, therefore, to prefer the claim of Kahaon as the representative of Hwen Thsang' s ancient city, partly on account of its undoubted antiquity, and partly because its distance from Kasia agrees better with the pilgrim's estimate than that of the larger town of Khukhundo.