Question

The fourth Buddhist Council was held at ……………………………
A) Pataliputra
B) Vaishali
C) Kundalavana
D) Bodh Gaya

Answer 1

Hint: It is the name of two separate Buddhist council meetings. In Sri Lanka, the first one was conducted and is historically dated to the first century B.C.E. In this Council the Theravada Pali Canon was for the first time committed to writing, on palm leaves.

Complete answer:
Now let us look into the given options
Option A) Pataliputra – is an incorrect answer because the fourth Buddhist Council was not held at Pataliputra. Adjacent to modern day Patna, Patliputra was a town in ancient India, originally founded in 490 BCE by Magadha ruler Uday. Thus, it is incorrect here.
Option B) Vaishali – is an incorrect answer because the fourth Buddhist Council was not held at Vaishali. Vaishali district is a district in Bihar, India. It is a part of Tirhut division. Thus, it is incorrect here.
Option C) Kundalavana – is a correct answer because the fourth Buddhist council was held at Kundalavana, Kashmir in 72 AD under the Patronage of Kushan king Kanishka and Vasumitra was the president of this council, with Asvaghosa as his deputy.
Option D) Bodh Gaya – is an incorrect answer because the fourth Buddhist council was not held at Bodh Gaya. It is a village in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. It is dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, considered as one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, designed to mark the site where the Buddha achieved enlightenment beneath a holy Bodhi Tree. Thus, it is incorrect here.

Hence, option C is the correct answer.

Note:
i) Kundalavana was the site of Buddhist council held by Kanishka headed by Vasumitra.
ii) After this council there was compilation of the Vast commentary known as the Mahavibhasa.
iii) Kundalavana is identified with the Kalaban near Srinagar or Jalandhar.