Ashok Vatika

Ashok Vatika (Hindi: अशोक वाटिका) was a garden in Lanka, the Kingdom of demon king, Ravana, as mentioned in the Vishnu Purana and Hindu epic, Ramayana of Valmiki, and all subsequent versions, including the Ramacharitamanas written by Tulsidas, where it finds mention in the Sundar Kand. The Vatika has garden houses around it, built by Vishwakarma himself

It was the location, where Sita, the wife of Rama was held captive by Ravana, after her abduction, also because she refused to stay in Ravana's palace, and preferred to stay under the Ashoka tree, hence the name. It was here that Ravana's wife Mandodari came to meet her and also where Hanuman met her for the first time, and identified himself with the finger ring of Rama.

Sita stayed at Ashokat Vatika, till the end of the epic battle between Rama and Ravana, which resulted in the destruction of Ravana himself and most of this clan. Much of the Ashoka Vatika was destroyed by Hanuman, when he first visited Lanka, searching for Sita. Also destroyed was the Pramda Van at the centre of the Ashok Vatika.

Ashoka

Ashoka Maurya (IAST: Aśoka; /əˈʃoʊkə/; 304–232 BCE), commonly known as Ashoka and Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over a realm that stretched from the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan to the modern state of Bangladesh in the east. It covered the entire Indian subcontinent except parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The empire's capital was Pataliputra (in Magadha, present-day Bihar), with provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain.

In about 260 BCE, Ashoka waged a bitterly destructive war against the state of Kalinga (modern Odisha). He conquered Kalinga, which none of his ancestors had done. He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. "Ashoka reflected on the war in Kalinga, which reportedly had resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations, ending at around 200,000 deaths." Ashoka converted gradually to Buddhism beginning about 263 BCE. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia, and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. "Ashoka regarded Buddhism as a doctrine that could serve as a cultural foundation for political unity." Ashoka is now remembered as a philanthropic administrator. In the Kalinga edicts, he addresses his people as his "children", and mentions that as a father he desires their good.

Ashoka (disambiguation)

Ashoka is a Sanskrit word that literally means sorrow-less or without sorrow.

Ashok, Ashoka, or Aśoka as a person most frequently refers to Ashoka, a monarch of the Mauryan Empire of India.

Ashok or Ashoka may also refer to:

People

Ashoka (non-profit organization)

Ashoka is a non-profit organization that supports social entrepreneurs worldwide, and was founded in 1980 by Bill Drayton. It provides start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network across the business and social sectors, and a platform for people dedicated to changing the world. It seeks advances in education, environmental protection, rural development, poverty alleviation, human rights, health care, care for the disabled, care for children at risk, and other fields. The organization helped originate the concept of social entrepreneurship, working outside of the government and business sectors to find sustainable solutions for societal needs. Since its founding, Ashoka has elected thousands of fellows in 70 countries.

Ashoka ranks in the top 100 non-governmental organizations in Swiss non-profit Global Geneva’s 2015 edition of the Top 500 NGOs, the international ranking of the world’s top non-governmental organizations.