Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh
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This historic city is one of the four important holy destinations after Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath for the followers of Gautama Buddha. Buddha made his last sermon and attained nirvana here in the year 487 BCE. The small town is deeply rooted in religion, divinity, and, more importantly, spirituality, and the visitors can feel it at every step. Buddha, suffering from illness, selected this city as his final resting place, thus immortalising Kushinagar. October to March is the best time to visit Kushinagar. The city is about 320 kilometres from Lucknow, the state capital. The nearest railway station is at Gorakhpur, about 50 kilometres away. Kushinagar has an international airport.
Nearby Places to See
In the Mahaparinirvana Temple is a statue of the reclining Buddha, also called the dying Buddha, which tells the story of the last days of Buddha’s life as he lay in a coma after a final meal. It is believed that King Ashoka put up the statue of Buddha in its current location nearly 225 years after Buddha’s death, when it was discovered by British archaeologists in 1876.
Many people believe that Gautama Buddha spent his final seven days of life on this massive rectangular platform known as the Nirvana Stupa. It’s commonly referred to as Nirvana Chaitya.
The Buddhist texts refer to Ramabhar Stupa as Mukuta-bandhana chaitya. Digging began in 1910, and by that time, the area had been buried beneath a layer of bricks measuring 40 feet in height. The Mallas, who were in charge, put one-eighth of Buddha’s ashes in this temple.
Hiranyavati Ghat
Buddha’s remains were scattered in the water at Hiranyavati Ghat, which is located close to Rambhar Stupa.
The Kushinagar Museum
You can learn all about Kushinagar’s past at the museum. Many artefacts, including statues, coins, paintings, and more, are also on display.
Kushinagar is home to temples from many different countries, all of which practise Buddhism. The Burmese temple, which is both circular and golden in appearance, stands out as the most visually appealing of these structures. There are Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Korean, and Tibetian temples at the site.
In a town called Turkpatti, about 20 kilometres from Kushinagar, there is an ancient temple housing a beautiful statue of the Sun God. Over a century and a half ago, archaeologists excavated the site of a destroyed temple and discovered a statue that would later be installed in a new temple.
Things to Buy
Things to buy include Photos and statues of Gautama Buddha, Artefacts.
Foods to Relish
Vegetarian dishes.
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Destination