Bahal and Bahil

BAHAL AND BAHIL

BAHIL IS DERIVAL FROM THE SANSKRIT TERM BAHIRI WHICH MEANS OUTSIDE FORM BAHIRI THE WORD CHANGED TO BAHIRA-BAHIL AND THE MEWARI TERM OF BAHI.
IT WAS DESIGNED AS A PLACE FOR TRAINING, TEACHING,PREACHING EPICS AND TO GIVE SHELTER AND FOOD TO VISITING MONKS.
UNTIL QUITE RECENT TIMES THIS WAS A WELL PRESERVED BAHI STURCTUE WITH A CONTINUOUS TWO STOREYED BUILDING RUNNING RIGHT ROUND THE QUADRANGLE WITH OPEN ROOMS ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND WOODEN SCREENS FACING THE UPPER VERANDA.
THE ENTRANCE TO THE SHRINE IS MARKED BY TWO SMALL STONE LIONS AND THE CELLA ITSELF IS SITUATED SO THANT ONE CAN CIRCUMAMBULATE IT. THE KWAPA-DYA IS AND IMAGE OF AKSOBHYA FACING NORTH.
THE SANGHA OF THIS BAHI NOW CONSISTS OF ONLY THREE HOUSEHOLDS OF "VAJRACARYAS" WITH TWELVE INITIATED MEMBERS. BOTH BARECHUYEGU AND ACALUYEGU INITIATION ARE PERFORMED HERE, AND THE VAJRACARYAS OF THIS SANGHA HAVE TRADITIONALLY SERVED AS PRIESTS FOR ALL THE MEMBER FAMILIES OF THE FIFTEEN BAHIS.
BY ALL ACCOUNTS THIS IS AN ANCIENT FOUNDATION, BUT THERE ARE NO EARLY INSCRIPITION OR REFERENCES TO THIS BAHI. SEVERAL INSCREPTIONS IN THE COURTYARD NOTE LATE DONATIONS, BUT THE EARLIEST OF THESE IS DATED N.S. 788. AN INSCREPTION OF N.S. 839 GOVES TJE MA,E PF TJE BAJOS AS ";LOKAKRTI --NAKA VIHARA. THE COURTYARD WAS PAVED IN N.S. 842 AND A METAL CONOPY DONATED IN N.S. 1002.