Hiuen-Tsang’s Accounts of Orissa

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 Hiuen-Tsang’s Accounts of Orissa:



The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang (Yuan Chiang or Xuanzang) visited Orissa in 639 A.D. He proceeded from Karna-Suvarna, the capital of Gauda in the south­west direction and covering a distance of 140 miles reached WU-Cha or Odra. His accounts clearly say that Orissa or Kalinga was then divided into three separate kingdoms such as Wu-cha (Odra), Kong-yu-To (Kongoda) and Ki-ling-ka (Kalinga).

From his accounts it is also clear that Andhra and Kosala were two distinct neighbouring kingdoms. It is further known from his accounts that Midnapore was then a part of Orissa. The coastal regions of Orissa consisting the modern districts of Midnapore (Bengal) Balasore, Cuttack and a part of Puri district remained under the suzerainty of Harsavardhan. Harsavardhan appointed a military Governor from Datta family to administer this country.

About the people of Odra country the pilgrim says that they were tall .and yellowish-black in complexion. The present Oriya race is generally short stature and brownish-black in complexion. The language of Odra people is different from the languages of Central India.

As regards to the religion the Chinese pilgrim says that majority of the people of Odra country were Mahayana Buddhists. The country had one hundred Buddhist monasteries and about ten thousand monks. According to his narration there were only 50. Deva temples in which the followers of different sects worshipped together. He being a follower of Mahayana Buddhism had more interest in the spread of Buddhism than Brahmanical religion.

Hiuen-Tsang mentions the name of two important centres of Buddhist learning in the Odra country. One of these two contained a famous monastery, called Pu-Sie-Po-ki-li (Puspagiri) which is yet to be identified. Mr. R. Chanda however identified this Puspagiri with Udayagiri, Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri area of Cuttack district.

At present this locality is also known as Puspagiri. This area contains a large number of Buddhist ruins which speaks (hat this area was a Mahayana Buddhist Centre. The second place of Buddhist Importance as mentioned by him is Cheli-Talo or Cheritra which is identified us Sri kshetra or Puri.

Some scholars identify this with Chitrotpala a branch of liver Mahanadi. But both the places do not contain any substantial Buddhist ruins to justify the identifications. Many Buddhist and Brahamanical monuments still exist in Orissa which belong to that period.

Hiuen-Tsang further narrates that when Harsavardhan returned to Odra desha after subjugating Kongoda was questioned by Hinayanists of Odra. Consequent upon this event Harsavardhan invited Silabhadra the Chancellor of Nalanda University with four others to meet the challenge of the Hinayanists of Orissa.

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