Ruins of Sravasti were re-discovered in year 1863 by a British Archaeologist Cunningham. Two remains of stupa mounds were excavated inside the city area north of Jetavana Grove and the larger one known as Pakki Kuti locally, was identified as Angulimala's Stupa. Lying few meters away south of it was believed to be the stupa of Anathapindika. Angulimala and Anathapindika were the two conspicuous followers of Lord Buddha.
Angulimala was a ruthless robber and killer before he accepted the monastic order and converted into monk-hood and became a saint. He was the best known figure in Buddhist scriptures due to his dramatic life. Angulimala was a son to a learned Brahman at the court of Kosala King Pasenadi and was given a name as Ahimsaka meaning harmless. Since young, the intelligent, studious and physically strong Ahimsaka was well educated and well behaved. He became the most favorable pet student to Guru Dashina when he was in college and that caused great jealousy from others. They approached the teacher in groups informing him that Ahimsaka was going to overtake and replace his position in the college. So much so that Guru Dashina took their words and began to distance Ahimsaka and further assign him the most difficult task to complete for graduation. He was asked to present the teacher a garland of 1000 human fingers. This made his born evil propensities arose. He began to rob and kill people to collect the fingers for the teacher. He was so strong that nobody could ever defeat him. The bone of the fingers he chopped off from his victims were hanged round his neck. He was then nicknamed as Angulimala, which means man with fingers garland. He had collected 999 fingers and while waiting for the last victim, he saw his mother coming to his way. When he was about to go near his mother for the last required number, Lord Buddha intervened. The Lord had foreseen his hidden potential and wanted to save him from making the greatest sin and drowning under-earth. Lord Buddha showered him with Dharma wisdom and finally turned him into a disciple.
Angulimalla after attained Arahathood was venerated as a Patron Saint of Expectant Mothers. Angulimalla Paritta was believed to be a sutta that is able to provide necessary benediction and protection to expectant mothers for a smooth and an untroubled childbirth. It was taught by Lord Buddha to Angulimalla when he encountered a family with an expectant mother who was suffering in a prolonged labor pain and facing death threat for her and her unborn baby. He followed the instruction of Buddha, invoke his saccakiriya, the truth of his righteous living, and recite this short Paritta with full concentration of mind as a protection for the expectant mother and her unborn baby. Before Angulimalla completed his assertion, expectant mother's labor pain began to subside and soon gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
Angulimalla Paritta read as :- "Yatoham bhagini ariyaya jatiya jato Nabhijanami Sancicca, Panam jivita voropeta Tena saccena sotthi te hotu, sotthi gabbhasa" which means "Sister, from the time of my being born into the noble birth (monkhood), I do not know of myself having intentionally deprived any living being of its life. By the power of this asseveration of Truth, may you be safe, may there also be safety for the baby in your womb."
Pakki Kuti is a terraced stupa built on a rectangular plan. It was not clear when it was first built but some scholars related it to be the ruins of Hall of Law which King Prasenjit built in honor of Lord Buddha. Basing on the general layout, the earliest construction might be in Kushana period (1st-2nd century BC) and subsequently had been undergone several alteration, extension and restoration to make it appeared as today.
Kachchi Kuti was the other mound short distance away from Angulimala's Stupa. It was so called as Kachchi Kuti locally as there was a temporary shrine made out of Kachchi bricks at the top of the structure. Though basing on the large collection of TC plagues showing on the high relief scenes from Ramayana, some suspected that it might be a Brahma Temple, Archeologist Cunningham in reference to the travel accounts of the famous Chinese monks, identified it as Anathapindika's Stupa. The imposing monument dated back from Kushan period (lst-2nd century BC) and had undergone various renovations in 2nd to 12th century.
Anathapindika was the chief lay disciple of Buddha and was very famous in his incomparable generosity to Lord Buddha. He spent millions of gold coins to purchase a park from Prince Jeta and built a magnificent 7-storey Vihara for Buddha to have his rainy-season retreats in Sravasti. The grandeur of the monastery was commented by Chinese monks Faxian and Xuanzang in 4th and 7th century, and today, it is an attraction to most Buddhist pilgrims from all parts of the world to come and pay homage.
Anathapindika's given name was Sudatta but he was always addressed as Anathapindika, the chief of alms-givers. Sudatta was a wealthy merchant. He came to hear about Lord Buddha from his brother-in-law, a banker of Rajgir, who was then preparing a grand house Dana for Buddha and his fellow monks. Hearing that Buddha was the enlightened one, Sudatta was so desperate to meet him and arose before dawn at that very night and walked resolutely in the dark towards the monastery. When arriving the monastery, he saw a figure walking up and down silently in the misty dawn and he was startled when he was called by his given name. He immediately knew it was The Enlightened One. Buddha greeted him and talked to him in a harmonious voice about giving, virtue, defiling nature of sensual pleasures and benefits of renunciation etc. He was compliantly unobstructed and peaceful and Lord Buddha, seeing that he was ready in heart and mind, continued giving him the teaching on the noble truth of sufferings, its cause, its cessation and path. With that, Sudatta had the pure eye of true (Dammacakkhu) opened and understood the truth in teaching. He overcame all doubts and without wavering certain in mind, he achieved attainment of first stage of Arahat Sotapatti.
Sudatta invited Buddha for the Dana at his brother-in-law's house the next day and served The Lord with his own hand. After the meal, he invited Lord Buddha to Sravasti for rainy retreat and requested for the offering of building a monastery for Buddha and order of monks at his home town. Upon acceptance, he began to make all arrangements on his way back home and seek suitable place for building a monastery. A grandeur Jetavana Monastery with individual cells, meeting halls, dinning place, store rooms, walkways, latrines, wells and lotus pond was thus erected in a serene forest glade.
Sudatta supplied the monks who lived in Jetavana Grove with all necessities. Each morning he sent in rice gruel to the monastery and evening provided all requirements of robes, alms bowls and medicines. All up-keeps and repair works in Jeta Grove were undertaken by his servants. And every day from his 7-storey palace home, he offered noon meals to several hundreds of monks, free food for guests, villagers and invalids. Some seats were always reserved for those who came late. The extremely wealthy patron of Buddha was reborn in Tusita Heaven after death.
Thai Temple is the most imposing temples among the various temples and monasteries that have been constructed at Sravasti, Others included monasteries built by South Korea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tibet and China.
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