Buddhism Tourism in India
Buddhism is one of the considerable religions in the world. There are around 400 million followers of this religion all over the world. Gautam Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. Gautam Buddha spent his earlier life in Kapilvastu. Here in this blog, I will tell you some pilgrimage Buddhism places in India.
Lumbini, Nepal:
Lumbini is located in the southern Nepal part which is very close to the Indian border. Maya Puri is the main Buddhist spot in Lumbini. This is the spot where Gautama Buddha was given birth to by Queen Maya Puri. There are so many large gardens in Lumbini.
When you visit Lumbini, don’t forget to visit the pillar of the famous Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s (Ashoka was one the greatest kings of India.)
Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh
Sarnath is a place in Uttar Pradesh which is situated 13 km away from Varanasi. This is the place where Gautam Buddha gave his first speech on Dharma. You can also visit the Deer Park in Sarnath. This is the place where Buddha taught. There are three famous stupas: The Dhamek Stupa; the Chaukhandi stupa and the Dharmarajika stupa.
When you are visiting Sarnath, don’t forget to visit the famous Sarnath Museum. In this museum, you will see some artifacts from ancient Buddha structures and other remains.
Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh
Kushinagar is a considerable spot for those who follow Buddhism. It is a must-visit place on Buddhist tours because it is the place where Sakyamuni (Gautam Buddha) died and attained Parinirvana. This place is situated 56 km away from Gorakhpur City (A city in Uttar Pradesh state).
If you are visiting Kushinagar, then some must-visit places are Parinirvana Stupa, the Ramabhar Stupa, Math Kaur Shrine, and many more. In Parinirvana Stupa, there is a reclining statue of Gautam Buddha which shows the hour of his death and the Ramabhar Stupa is the place where he was cremated.
Bodhgaya, Bihar
This pilgrimage site is one of the most important sites in the world. Bodhgaya is a village in Bihar where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. After many failed attempts at understanding life, Buddha stopped to rest under a tree. He assured to meditate as long as it took the enlightenment to understand the aim of his life. It is said that it took 7 weeks for him to know the purpose of his life. The tree where Buddha sat is known as Bodhi Tree.
If you are visiting Bihar, then this place is the must-visit place in Bihar. Mahabodhi Temple is the most important temple here.
I visited Bodhgaya last year with my family and we enjoyed it a lot. The atmosphere was so peaceful and calm and also I have visited Mahabodhi temple. My visit to Bodhgaya was unforgettable as I enjoyed the calmness and peacefulness in the atmosphere.