PLACES :DARAULI (DON)

About Darauli :-

Darauli is one of the 19 blocks in Siwan District. The total population of the block is 143,757 . There are 97 villages and 0 towns in this block. The literacy rate is 50.13% . The female literacy rate is 36.08% . The male literacy rate is 65.14% .

• The number of households in Darauli is 20,145. All the households are rural households and there is no urban households. .
• Female to male ratio of Darauli is 104.28%. Female to male ratio of the block is less than state's female to male ratio 91.93%. It is unsatisfactory and the people should drive some campaign to improve this.
• The literacy rate of the block is 50.13% compared to the literacy rate of state 47%. The literacy rate of the block is better than state literacy rate. Anyhow, the rate of literacy is low and needs immediate attention of Union and State Government.
• The female literacy rate is 36.08% compared to male literacy rate of 65.14% .
• The total working population is 35.99% of the total population. 52.6% of the men are working population . 20.43% of the women are working population.
• The main working population is 23.13% of the total population. 39.34% of the men are main working population . 7.94% of the women are main working population. While the marginal working population is 12.86% of the total population. 13.26% of the men are marginal working population. 12.49% of the women are marginal working population.
• The total non working population is 64.01% of the total population. 47.4% of the men are non working population. 79.57% of the women are non working population.                                                                 

History of Daruli (Don) :-

The village of Don is located in Darauli block in Siwan district in Bihar. The village is associated with Buddhism in a very important way. The Buddha died in Kusinara, without leaving behind an instruction as to what was to be done with His mortal remains. Post His death, the Mallas of Kusinara gathered and took upon themselves the task of His funeral. Respect was paid for 6 days and after that the body was cremated. After the funeral, a dispute broke out between the Mallas and chiefs of other clans over sharing of the relics. Resolution came with the intervention of a brahmin by the name of Dona. He distributed the relics equally and more importantly to the satisfaction of the eight claimants.

All the claimants, out of sheer happiness and gratitude, gave Dona the vessel in which the ashes of the Buddha was collected. Dona, on his part, declared that he would construct a stupa to enshrine the sacred vessel. This stupa, later, went on become an important pilgrims’ destination.

Reference of the remains of this stupa is found in the travel details of Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang. Today, the stupa is no more than a grassy mound with a Hindu temple on it just outside the village of Don. Quiet closeby is a beautiful statue of Tara who is now worshipped as a Hindu goddess. The statue, it is believed, dates back to 9th century. 

Another story of Don Mythology:-

A village in the Darauli block where there are remnants of a fort, which is said to be connected with the famous hero of the Mahabharat, Acharya Dronacharya the guru of both Kaurav’s and Pandav’s.

Dona's stupa is a lesser-known but popular Buddhist pilgrimage site, despite its isolated location. The Buddhist traveler Hiuen Tsang mentions a visit to Don in his account of his travels in India. He describes the stupa as being in ruins. The account of Dona's distribution of Buddha's ashes and being given the vessel is a mentioned in the end of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, which is described in Maurice Walsh's The Long Discourses. Presently Dona's stupa is a grassy hill and has a Hindu temple built over it, where a beautiful statue of Tara is worshipped as a Hindu goddess. This statue was carved in the 9th century. A.D. Tourists on a Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour are sure to appreciate the historic sight of the stupa at Don. 

How to Reach:-

Don can be reached from Patna to Siwan via Chhapra. A day trip from Kusinagar via Gopalganj can also be arranged.

After the Buddha's cremation a dispute arose as to how his ashes should be divided. Eventually a brahmin named Dona was given the task and he did it to the satisfaction of all the eight claimants. As a reward for his services he was given the vessel in which the ashes had been collected and from which he had divided and he announced that he would enshrine this vessel in a stupa. This stupa later became a popular destination with pilgrims. When Hiuen Tsiang went there it was already in ruins but it still sometimes emitted a brilliant light. Today Dona's stupa is a large grassy mound with a Hindu temple on it just outside the village of Don. Nearby is an exceptionally beautiful statue of Tara now being worshipped as a Hindu goddess. This statue dates from the 9th century. To get to Don go from Patna to Siwan via Chhapra . Alternatively you can visit Don as a day trip from Kusinara via Gopalganj. Beyond Siwan the road is very bad. The story about Dona's division of the Buddha's ashes is in the last part of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta which can be found in Walshe's The Long Discourses. When you have finished in Patna cross the Ganges by the new Mahatma Gandhi Bridge and head north to Vesali via Hajipur.