A shrine in the neighbourhood of Vesáli, to the north of that city (D.iii.9). The Buddha is said to have stayed there (D.ii.118;, Ud.vi.1; S.v.259). It was a pre Buddhist shrine and, according to the Commentaries (E.g., UdA.323; SA.ii.128, etc.), was a many branched nigrodha tree where persons prayed for sons to the deva of the tree. Hence its name.
Mahá Kassapa says that while yet a "learner" he paid homage to the Buddha at a Bahuputtaka-nigrodha where the Buddha had gone to meet him. The Buddha taught him of the training to be followed and, profiting by the lesson, eight days later Mahá Kassapa became an arahant. This nigrodha, however, was on the road from Rájagaha to Nálandá and was three leagues from Rájagaha*. It cannot, therefore, have been identical with the tree, which gave its name to the Bahuputta cetiya.
* S.ii.220; see Mahá Kassapa. It was here that the Buddha exchanged his robe for that of Kassapa, SA.ii.128; ThagA.ii.145; AA.i.102; Mtu.iii.50.