A town thirty yojanas from Sávatthi (SnA.i.220) and probably twelve from Benares (See Watters: ii.61; Fa Hsein, 60, 62). It lay between Sávatthi and Rájagaha. (The Buddha goes from Sávatthi to Kitágiri, thence to Álaví, and finally, to Rájagaha). The Buddha, on several occasions, stayed at Álaví at the Aggálava shrine (q.v.) which was near the town. In the sixteenth year after the Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the whole of the rainy season at Álaví and preached the doctrine to 84,000 listeners (BuA.3). The King of Álaví was known as Álavaka and the inhabitants as Álavaka. The town later became famous as the residence of Álavaka Yakkha and of Hatthaka Álavaka. The Therí, Selá was born in Álaví and was therefore known as Alaviká (ThigA.62-3). There was evidently a large community of monks at Álaví, some of whom seem to have chiefly occupied themselves with building viháras for themselves (See Álavaká).
Once, while at Sávatthi, the Buddha saw a poor farmer of Álaví, ready for conversion and decided to go and preach in that town. The farmer's ox had strayed away, and he looked for it for quite a long while before finding it; he knew that the Buddha was in Álaví and decided that he still had time to visit the Buddha, and he set off without taking any food. Meanwhile at Álaví the Buddha and his monks had been served with a meal by the people, but the Buddha waited until the farmer came before returning thanks. On the farmer's arrival the Buddha ordered that some food should be given him, and when the man was comforted and his mind was ready the Buddha preached a sermon, at the end of which the man became a Sotápanna (DhA.iii.262-3).
On another occasion the Buddha came all the way from Jetavana to Álaví for the sake of a weaver's daughter. (For the story see DhA.iii.170f).
Álaví has been identified by Cunningham and Hoernle with Newal or Nawal in the Urao district in the United Provinces, and by Nandalal Dey, with Aviwa, twenty-seven miles north-east of Etwah (Law: Geog, of. Early Buddhism, p.24).
Mrs. Rhys Davids states that Álaví was on the bank of the Ganges (Ps. of the Brethren, 408), probably basing her view on the declaration of Álavaka in the Sutta Nipáta (p.32) that he would throw the Buddha "pára-Gangáya" (over to the other side of the Ganges) unless his questions were answered. I believe that here "pára-Gangáya" is merely a rhetorical expression and has no geographical significance.