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Birthplace of Lord Mahâvîra Re-considered
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Kundagrama. So we are laid to believe that he was born in Ksatriya Kundagrama which was situated in the vicinity of Vaisali.
Village-names can be depended upon because these carry the seeds of ancient tradition. In the neighbourhood of the ruins of Vaisali there are many villages which preserve their ancient names. Thus the present Baniya is the ancient Vanijyagrama. The present Kolhua is the ancient Kollaga Sannivesa. Vaisali itself has survived in the present villages called Basarh, Basara and Bakhara-all these names are derivatives from “Vaisali' through the stages Vaisadi...Vaisada... Basadha...Basada... Basara... Bakhara.
In looking for a village bearing a name similar to the ancient Ksatriya Kundagrama, we should put more emphasis on the term ‘Ksatriya' because it is the distinguishing feature of the proper name, the subsequent member of the compound being a common feature.
Now, at a distance of approximately ten kilometers as the crow flies, in the north-east direction from the present ruins of Vaisali, there is a village called Chitri. This may be the survivor of the ancient Ksatriya, Kundagrama. This village has a more ancient look and it is much bigger than the present Basokunda Majority of inhabitants are Rajputs, the present counterpart of the ancient Ksatriyas. To the south east of this village there is another village called Bahilvara which is one of the biggest village of this locality. Majority of its population consists of Brahmanas. One is tempted to derive the name from Vahnivata' (sacrificial fire-place) which can well be associated with the ancient name Brahmana Kundagrama. Presence of Babhnagari (Babhananagari) township of the Brahmanas, beside the village further corroborates the assumption that Bahilvara-Babhanagari represents the ancient Brahmana Kundagrama.
To the east of the present village of Chitri, lies a lake at a distance of about two kilometers, nearly five kilometers in length and about two kilometers in width. This lake is called Narasa Narasanda. On the western bank of this lake, there is a patch of land, four to five acres in area, which is enclosed on all sides high earthen embankments, at places seven to eight feet high. People of the locality testify that the present height of the embankment is much dwindled. The area is also surrounded by a
