Buddhist Pilgrimage Destinations in India
Sometimes all you desire from a tour is peace of mind, what you seek
is a place where you can let your hair down and spend time contemplating
the serene and spiritual surrounding. You require moments of sheer
tranquillity, a place where you can unwind and revitalize your spirit.
Well, meeting your expectation, Buddhist Circuit is just the right type
of tour for you! It is one of those expeditions that instantly transport
you to an era of wisdom, serenity and enlightenment. The mighty
monasteries, the lofty stupas and the ever-so melodic chants of Mantras
make one forget about their anxieties and stress, trials and
tribulations, and one is simply lost in the world of divinity that heals
just about everything.
India is blessed with the fact that Lord
Buddha walked on its land, preached to its people and attained
Mahanirvana on its humble ground. There are in fact so many destinations
in India that have Buddhist significance and amongst them Bodhgaya
(Where Buddha attained enlightenment), Sarnath (Where Buddha held his
first public sermon) and Kushinagar (Where Buddha attained Mahanirvana)
hold great importance for the devotees. The Sarnath-Gaya-Varanasi
Buddhist Circuit is so popular amongst Buddhist pilgrims that government
has decided to offer good connectivity for the three destinations. Here
is all you need to know about these Buddhist pilgrimages in India:
Gaya
It
is here in Gaya, that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under a Pipal
tree. Gaya is situated about 100kms from Patna, the capital of Bihar. It
is the second largest city and is the most popular tourist destination
in Bihar. The city is established on the bank of River Phalgu and is
named after the demon called Gayasur. Today, Bodhgaya is an important
place of Buddhist pilgrimage in India and has a number of monasteries,
which were constructed by devout Buddhists of Japan, Thailand, Myanmar
and Sri Lanka. The major attraction in Gaya is the Maha Bodhi Temple or
the Vishal Buddha Mandir that has a mammoth statue of Buddha in a deep
meditation. Then there is the Pipal tree that is situated on a huge
platform; it is believed that this tree is the offspring of the actual
tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. The Chaukramama or
the Jewel Walk is yet another place of interest in Bodhgaya; it is said
that this was the spot where Buddha used to come for a stroll.
[ Must Read: Top 30 Famous Temples in India ]
Sarnath
Sarnath
is situated about 11kms from the holy town of Varanasi. It is a place
where Budhha after attaining enlightenment proceeded to deliver his
first sermon on wisdom. Today, Sarnath is one of the most important
Buddhist places of worship in India. The main attraction here is the
stupa that was erected by Emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BC. Other major
attractions in Sarnath are Chaukhandi Stupa, which is believed to have
been constructed during Emperor Ashoka’s reign; it is in fact the first
monument encountered after entering Sarnath. Another important place to
see in Sarnath is the Dhamek Stupa, which is a conical structure that
signifies the place where Buddha delivered his first teachings of the
Four Noble Truths. Mulagandha Kuti Vihar and Sarnath Museum are yet
other major attractions for the tourists in Sarnath.
[ Check out 25 Famous Temples in Delhi ]
Kushinagar
Kushinagar
is located about 53 km from Gorakhpur and is believed to be the place
where Lord Buddha attained ‘Maharparinivana’- the highest stage of
salvation. After the excavation in 1861 many stupas related to Buddha
resurfaced in Kushinagar and today they are amongst the major tourist
attractions here. The Ramabhar Stupa is one of the major attractions;
this stupa is about 50 feet tall and situated where Lord Buddha was
cremated. Mahanirvana Temple, where a six meters long Buddha statue in
reclining position is kept; Mathakuar Temple, where a black stone image
of the Buddha and inscriptions dating back to 10th-11th century are
kept; Watt Thai Temple; Japanese Temple, where ‘Eight Metals’ statue of
Lord Buddha is kept and the Chinese Temple, which is predominantly
constructed in a Chinese architectural style are the other places to see
in Kushinagar.
[ Also know about Popular Hindu Temples in the Himalaya ]
Kapilvastu
Situated
on Indo-Nepal border and in Siddharth Nagar district of East Uttar
Pradesh, Kapilvastu has immense historical significance and is known as
the place where Lord Buddha was born. The place has several Stupas and
in the archaeological excavations stone caskets containing relics
believed to be that of Buddha have been found. The major tourist
attractions in Kapilvastu includes Stupa Complex, where the inscriptions
of ‘Deoputra’ (Kanishka of the Kushana Dynasty) can be found; Palace
Site is yet another attraction and is believed to be the ruins of the
palace of King Shuddhodhan, the father of Prince Gautam.
[ Check out Top 25 Religious Tourism Places in India ]
Sankisa
Sankisa
is situated about 47kms from the Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. This
small town is quite a popular Budhhist place in India as it is believed
to be the place where Buddha descended after giving sermons to his
mother in heaven. The ruins of many stupas and monasteries had been
found here. Saniska is known for a temple dedicated to Bisari Devi and
an excavated Ashoka’s elephant pillar. There is a Buddha Temple, which
is believed to be at the spot where Lord Buddha descended from heaven;
The Temple of Maya Devi, where the walls of the temple bear Buddhist
sculptures dating back to the Mahayana age; Shiva Linga, a colossal
Shiva Linga is also an attraction for Hindu devotees here. In Saniska, a
large fair called Shravan Mela is held annually, which draws large
numbers of Hindu devotees to Sankisa every year.
Sravasti
Sravasti
(ancient Savatthi), which was the capital of ancient Kosala
Mahajanapada is an important Buddhist destination. It is believed that
Lord Buddha and his disciples stayed and preached 24 years in this city.
This city has several age-old stupas, monasteries and temples. Some of
the major attractions include Sahet, where Budhha is believed to have
lived for 24 years; Mahet, where once was a fortified city and Jain
Temple thatwas the birthplace of the third Jain Teerthankara,
Swayambunatha. There are a number of monasteries such as Sri Lankan,
Chinese, Myanmarese and Thai. The World Peace Bell is yet another place
of interest in Sravasti and is established by Japanese devotees.
Ladakh
Buddhism influence can be seen majorly in Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir state. The age- old culture of Ladakh can be seen in its ancient monuments, monasteries,
oral literature, art forms, fairs and festivals. Ladakh is a place
where all occasions- marriage, birth and harvesting are marked by
feasting, dancing and the singing of folk songs. There is large number
of beautiful monasteries that one can visit here and amongst the most
famous ones are Shey, Hemis, Thiksey Monastery, Diskit Monastery,
Lamayuru, Spituk, Alchi, Phyang and Rangdum.
[ Check out Top 6 Reasons to Visit Ladakh- Infographic ]
Sikkim
Sikkim
is a popular Buddhist destination as it has about 200 monasteries
belonging to the Nyingma and Kagyu order. Buddhism in Sikkim has not
only influenced the local culture but has also influenced the lifestyle
of the people. Even though Sikkim never got the privilege to experience
the physical presence of Buddha, yet his words of wisdom influenced the
life in Sikkim and this has what made it one of the most important
Buddhist pilgrimages in the country. The most popular monasteries in
Sikkim include Pemayangtse, Rumtek, Enchey, Phensang, Phodang, Labrang,
Tashiding, Pal Zurmang Kagyud, Tsuk-La-Khang, Ralong, Sanga Chelling and
Dubdi.
[ Must Read- Top 20 Things to Do and See in Sikkim ]
Other Buddhist Sites in India
Apart
from Sarnath and Gaya, there are many other significant Buddhist
pilgrimage centres in India like Dharamshala and Tabo Monastery in
Himachal Pradesh; Nalanda, Rajgir and Vaishali in Bihar; Sanchi in
Madhya Pradesh; Ajanta & Ellora in Maharashtra; Tawang Monastery in
Arunachal Pradesh; Nagarjunakonda, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Salihundam,
Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh; Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udayagiri in
Odisha also have great importance as a Buddhist education sites in
India. Each of these Buddhist places in India is worth visiting as they
offer an insight into the life of Buddha. These places are quite
inspirational and urge one to find a Buddha inside oneself.
