Introduction

"Sometime during the sixth century BC a solitary, wandering ascetic sat to meditate beneath a shady tree, resolving not to rise until he had attained the ultimate knowledge of spiritual enlightenment. Thus began Buddhism, one of the world's great religions and pilgrimage traditions." There are between four and sixteen principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India, with the most important located primarily in the Ganges Valley of India. Some of them are:  

Sravasti

Sravasti, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala, has the honour for sheltering Buddha for 24 rainy seasons in the Jetvana Gardens.

The city believed to be founded by the mythological king Sravast, has age-old stupas, majestic monasteries and several temples. Buddha is said to have performed some miracles here.

Lumbni

This holy place also has the famous Anand Bodhi tree, an offspring of the one, said to have been planted by Buddha's main disciple Lumbni

Lumbini is a birth place of Lord Buddha, in southern Nepal, twenty five hundred years ago. Since his time, Nepal has been a sacred ground for Buddhists as the birthplace of the Buddha. Lumbini is a small town in the southern Terai plains of Nepal, where the ruins of the old city can still be seen. Shakyamuni Buddha was born to a royal family. His mother, Queen Maya Devi, had a dream foretelling his coming. In her dream, she saw a white elephant with nine tusks come down to her from the heavens and enter her body. When the time of his delivery approached, she left for her parental home, according to the practice of the time. En route to her parents' home, she gave birth to Siddhartha Gautam in the gardens of Lumbini.

The prince is said to have emerged from her right side as she rested her arm on the branch of a fig tree. And immediately after birth, he took seven steps in the four cardinal directions and wherever his feet touched the ground, a lotus bloomed.

After this powerful birth, Prince Siddhartha lived in his father's palace, shielded from the evil and the pain of the outside world. His father had been informed by the seers of the time that the prince would either become a great emperor or become a holy man. Fearing his son would leave the world for religious practice, the king took pains to see that Prince Siddhartha neither saw nor experienced suffering. Thus he hoped Siddhartlia would become a great emperor and never dream of leaving the kingdom

Kushinagar, one of the principal centre of Buddhist pilgrimage, is the place where Lord Buddha left his corporeal self and attained Mahaparinirvana.

The credit for bringing this ancient site to light goes to General A. Cunningham and A.C.I. Carlyl, who, after excavating the site in 1861, established its antiquity for the first time. Later, between 1904 and 1912, several excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India at Kushinagar confirmed its identity.

The monuments of Kushinagar are situated in three distinct groups comprising the main site of the Nirvana Temple, the central stupa and surrounding monasteries, the Mathakuar shrine to the southwest, and the Ramabhar Stupa a kilometer to the east.

Some major sights of city are: Nirvana TempleThis houses the over 6 mtrs long statue of reclining Buddha. The image was unearthed during the excavations of 1876. Carved from Chunar sandstone, the statue represents the dying Buddha reclining on his right side. An inscription below dates the statue to the fifth century AD. Mathakuar Shrine This shrine lies about 400 yards from the Parinirvana stupa. A black stone image of the Buddha in the bhumi sparsha mudra was recovered here. The last sermon by Lord Buddha was given here. Ramabhar Stupa About 1 km away, this large stupa rises to a height of 49 ft. It marks the site where the Lord Buddha was cremated. In ancient Buddhist texts this stupa has been referred to as Mukut-Bandhan Vihar. Chinese Temple Here the special attraction is a beautiful statue of Lord Buddha. Japanese Temple A beautiful Ashta Dhatu (eight metals) statue of Lord Buddha which came from Japan can be seen here. Kushinagar Museum The Buddha Museum contains finds from excavations at the site. Timings : 10:30 am. to 4:30 pm. Weekly off: Monday.

Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya is situated in Central Bihar, on the foothills of the Chotanagpur plateau. It is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centers. This is the place where Gautam Buddha attained Enlightenment. The Maha Bodhi temple has the Bodhi tree under which Buddha meditated before attaining enlightenment. The temple was built by King Ashoka. The temple displays architecture of the Gupta period. The architecture of this temple is unparalleled in North India. Towards North of the Bodhi Temple is a platform with foot impressions of Buddha called Chankamana. In Bodhgaya other places worth visiting are the Bodh Gaya Museum, Surya Kund, etc. The Bodh Gaya Museum is maintained by the Archaeological survey of India. There is a large collection of stone sculptures and other artifacts, some of which date back to the stone age and Gupta period. The bronze statues in the museum are very attractive. The museum also has a small collection of Buddha Statues and pillars found in the area.

Surya Kund is a pond on the West of the Vishnu temple. In the Hindu months of 'Chaitya' (March-April) and 'Kartika' (September-October) the festival of Sun God called 'Chhat' is held on this pond. A fair is organized on these occasions at the Kund.

Countries with a large Buddhist population have a temple or monastery here. The Japanese temple has a particularly beautiful image of Buddha. Meditation courses are also conducted during winters and are run by International Meditation Center near the Magadha University. Meditation courses are also offered at the Burmese and Tibetan monasteries.

Varanasi

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. It was a flourishing trade center when Buddha came to Sarnath, about 10 kilometres away, to preach his first sermon in 500 BC. Right from the ancient times, Varanasi has stood as a symbol of Hindu renaissance and preserved the rituals and traditions of Hindu philosophy. Down the ages, pilgrims from distant lands have come to Varanasi in search of divine blessings. Temples form the major source of attraction in this ancient city. The banks of the Ganges, considered to be a sacred river by the Hindus, are the centre of much of the religious activity that occurs in the city. The ghats built along the banks of the river for such religious activity also form a major source of attraction here.

SARNATH: Sarnath, 10 km from Varanasi, where the Buddha preached his first sermon in the Deer Park, contains the most impressive remains, as well as a modem temple.
The Dharmarajika, Chaukhandi and Dharnek stupas are outstanding. There are also the remains of a monastery, and the beautifully polished Lion Capital of Ashoka.
Sarnath contains a rich library and at the Mula gandha Kutir Vihara there are excellent frescoes by Kosetsu Nosu. The Sarnath Museum, not far from the site, contains some of the finest specimens of Buddhist sculpture.

At all centers of Buddhist worship, the Vaisakha (April-May) full moon is observed as the anniversary of three important events - the Buddha's birth, Enlightenment and death, while the Asadh (July - August) full moon is observed as the anniversary of his first sermon.

Ajanta-Ellora Caves (Aurangabad)

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. The 34 caves at Ellora and the 29 caves at Ajanta, were remained shrouded in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819. The view point from where John Smith first glimpsed the caves, provides a magnificent sight of the U-Shaped gorge and its scenic surroundings.

Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will come to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.

Ajanta Caves
It was only in the 19th century, that the Ajanta group of caves, lying deep within the Sahyadri hills, cut into the curved mountain side, above the Waghora river, were discovered. They depict the story of Buddhism, spanning a period from 200 BC to 650 AD.

The 29 caves were built as secluded retreats of the Buddhist monks, who taught and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas, the ancient seats of learning, and nerve - centers of the Buddhist cultural movement.

Ellora Caves
The Ellora caves, 34 in number, are carved into the sides of a basaltic hill, 30 kms from Aurangabad. The finest specimens of cave - temple architecture, they house elaborate facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. These structures representing the three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, were carved during the 350 AD to 700 AD period. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain.

The sculpture in the Buddhist caves accurately convey the nobility, grace and serenity inherent in the Buddha. Caves 6 and 10 house images from the Buddhist and Hindu faith, under the same roof, the latter dedicated to Vishwakarma, the patron saint of Indian craftsmen. The Vishvakarma cave is both a Chaitya and a Vihara, with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa. Its two - storied structure sports a colourful pageant of dwarfs, dancing and making music.

The Kailasa temple in Cave 16 is an architectural wonder, the entire structure having been carved out of a monolith, the process taking over a century to finish. This mountain - abode of Lord Shiva, is in all probability, the world's largest monolith, the gateway, pavilion, assembly hall, sanctum and tower, all hewn out of a single rock.

The Jain caves are about a mile away from the Kailasa temple, amongst which Cave 32, houses a beautiful shrine adorned with fine carvings of a lotus flower on the roof, and a yakshi on a lion under a mango - tree, while Caves 32 and 34 contain grand statues of Parasnath.

These cave shrines are memorable for their invaluable contribution to the enormous wealth of Indian heritage.