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Buddhist Destinations in India
Delhi
Delhi is a city that defies a one-line
description as the capital of India or as the capital of the world's largest
democracy. Actually, Delhi is India in miniature. Delhi is 32,87,263 sq. km of
India's fantastic variety compressed into 1483 sq. km Over the millennia, it has
wooed rulers, attracted plunderers, and tried historians with so many details.
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Agra
Agra Located about 204 km south of Delhi
in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Agra is one of the most famous tourist spots
of the country. The city, situated on the west bank of river the Yamuna, is known
world over as home to a wonder of the world, Taj Mahal. |
Varanasi & Sarnath
The city of Varanasi is situated
along the west bank of the Ganges in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Called Benaras by the British, Varanasi is an important pilgrimage centre for
the Hindus. The city finds mention in the great epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. |
Sankasia
Sankasia
lies in central Uttar Pradesh, 47 km from Farrukhabad. It is believed to be the
place where Buddha, along with Brahma and Devraj Indra descended after giving
sermons to his mother in heaven. |
Bodhgaya
As the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment,
Bodhgaya is the spiritual home of Buhddhists. It attracts tens of thousands of
believers from all over the world. Bodhgaya situated near the river Niranjana,
is one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage centres since it was here that Buddha
attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. |
Nalanda
Nalanda was the most renowned university
in ancient India. It derived its name from Na-alam-da, meaning Insatiable in Giving,
one of the names by which the Lord Buddha was known. |
Rajgir
The picturesque Rajgir, or Rajagriha
as it was known in the past (literally, the abode of kings) is surrounded by the
meandering river Banganga and 5 hills. |
Kushinagar
A small dusty town in the eastern
part of Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagar is the place where Lord Gautam Buddha breathed
his last. The religious significance of Kushinagar can be perceived by the fact
that a large number of followers visit this place everyday. |
Lumbini
Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha,
was located in 1890 after being untraced for 1,500 years. Lumbini grove, the sacred
site of Lord Buddha's birth is today a small village in Nepal, 27 km from Sonauli
on the Indo-Nepal Border.
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Ajanta and Ellora
The famous Ajanta and Ellora
caves are located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The cave shrines
were all cut out of rock, by hand, and rank amongst some of the most outstanding
specimens of ancient Indian architectural heritage.
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Sanchi
Sanchi, 52 km from Bhopal and 10 km from
Vidisha railway station, is a serene hill crowned by a group of stupas, monasteries,
temples and pillars dating from 3rd Century BC to the 12th Century AD.
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Sravasti
Sravasti, the capital of the ancient
kingdom of Kosala, has the honour for sheltering Buddha for 24 rainy seasons in
the Jetvana Gardens. | |
