बुद्ध के भाई नंद की मंगेतर जनपद कल्याणी नंदा अपने काल की अपूर्व रुपसी थी। उसका नाम 'जनपद कल्याणी' इसलिए पड़ा था कि उसका रुप, लावण्य और शोभा और श्री समस्त जनपद के लिए कल्याणकारी माना जाता था। नंद से उसका प्रगाढ प्रेम था और उनसे शादी की आशा में वह फूले न समा रही थी।

किन्तु जिस दिन वह नंद के साथ परिणय-सूत्र में बंधने जा रही थी और अपनी शादी की सारी तैयारियों को निहार-निहार पुलकित हो रही थी ठीक उसी समय उसने नंद को बुद्ध के साथ बुद्ध के भिक्षाटन के कटोरे को लिये प्रासाद से बाहर जाते देखा। फिर बहुत देर तक उनके लौटने की राह तकती रही । देर शाम तक नंद वापिस न लौटे। तभी अचानक उसे यह सूचना दि गयी कि नंद भी गृहस्थ त्याग भिक्षु बन चुके थे। इस सूचना से जनपद कल्याणी नंदा को गहरा आघात लगा और वह मूर्व्हिच्छत हो गई।

J anapada Kalyani Nanda was the prettiest maiden of the janapada (the kingdom). She was engaged in marriage to Nanda, the half brother of Gotama Buddha. Hence, she earned the sobriquet of Janapada Kalyani, which means the �Grace of the Kingdom�. She belonged to a noble family.

Engaged to the prince of the kingdom she was in deep love with her prospective groom and was over-thrilled with the prospect of her marriage with him.

Just on the day before her marriage when all preparations for the ceremony were being made the Buddha arrived at the palace and sent for Nanda, the groom. Further, she saw him walking out with the Buddha and thought that he would be back soon. But to her disappointment the groom did not return because the Buddha had taken him to his monastery to teach him to renounce the house-hold life and become a monk.

When all preparations for her marriage were taking place; she decked out in her finest dress and sat in the mandap decorated with flowers and with the banana stems raised on its four corners, the news of Nandas renunciation was announced all of a sudden. The news came as a blow on the bride-in-waiting. Shocked and terribly hurt, she swooned.

Shocked with the news of her grooms renunciation the princess swoons. The erection of the banana leaves in the background as a part of the Mandapa-decoration for the marriage of Nanda and Janapada Kalyani, Ajanta

Janapada Kalyani (close up), Ajanta

See Samyutta Nikaya iv.341; Udana Commentary 170; Jataka 1.394; Majjhima Nikaya i.387; Dhammapada Atthakatha i.105; Theragatha Atthakatha i.318.