Explore Culture-Rich Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in India
Posted on June 11, 2008 in Travel by Prarthna
Pilgrimage tours are growing very popular in India. So whether it is to with a trip to the Amarnath caves or to Buddhist religious sites, the booking is never ending. It is the life and teachings of the master “Gautam Buddha” that has inspired numerous tourists to visit Buddhist religious sites in India.
Buddhism is a faith that enfolds as many as 250 to 500 million followers in East Asian countries. The faith circles around the teachings of Gautam Buddha who was born in Lumbini. Bimbisara, Milinda, Ashoka and Kanishka were some emperors who saw the religion flourish in front of their eyes. Buddhism later spread to countries like China, Japan and Korea.
Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in India
Listed below are some of the most popularly visited Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India:
- Dharamsala: Dharamsala is located on the picturesque valley of Himachal Pradesh. Dharamsala is also the seat of the 14th Dalai Lama in India. Home to numerous Tibetan refugees, the major attractions of this small and serene town in the hills are the monasteries, monks walking down the streets with prayer beads, etc. If you prefer to take the air route then Gaggla is the nearest airport (about 15 kilometers) from Dharamsala. Pathankot is the nearest railway station from the town (abut 85 kilometers away). Regular bus services are available from Shimla, Manali and Delhi to Dharamsala.
- Mcleodganj: Mcleodganj is also located in Himachal Pradesh. The Dalai Lama’s residence is in Mcleodganj. The nearest airport to Mcleodganj is Gaggla (about 13 kilometers away). Pathankot is the nearest railway station from the town (about 85 kilometers away) and regular buses ply from Delhi, Shimla and Manali to Mcleodganj.
- Pilak: Pilak is located in Tripura, about 100 kilometers from Agartala. Pilak is popular not just as a Buddhist pilgrimage destination but Hindu pilgrimage destination as well. A lot of relics have been unearthed from Pilak some of which include – terracotta tablets, Stupa’s, etc. The nearest airport from Pilak is Agartala, the nearest railway station is Kumarghat and there are numerous buses that run from Agartala and Julaibari to Pilak.
- Sanchi: Sanchi is located in Madhya Pradesh, about 52 kilometers from the capital city of Bhopal. Major attractions at Sanchi include Buddhist stupa’s, monasteries, pillars and temples. These ancient monumental structures date back to some 3rd century BC and 12th century AD.
- Bodhgaya: Bodhgaya in Gaya (then Bihar but now Jharkhand) was the place where Gautam Buddha is said to have attained “enlightenment” after sitting under the Bodhi tree for about 7 days. Bodhgaya is rich in monastic tradition. Two pilgrims, Fa Hien and Huen Tsang were in absolute awe of the Buddhist monasteries. Heung Tsang more emphatically praises the Mahabodhi Sangharama founded by King of Ceylon in 14th century.
- Kushinagar: Gautam Buddha’s last major teaching was given in Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh). Excavations reveal that monastic tradition found its roots here too. About 10 monasteries ruins have been unearthed which all date back to the period between 4th to 11th centuries.
- Lumbini: Lumbini is where Siddharta or Gautam Budhha was born. Now located on the borders of India and Nepal, Lumbini boasts of being the birthplace of the “enlightened one” which dates back to more than 200 years before the rule of Mauryan King, Ashoka.
- Sarnath: Sarnath was the place where Gautam Buddha gave his first teaching. Sarnath is located 13 kilometers from Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh. After attaining enlightenment, Budhha along with his followers traveled to Sarnath to turn the wheel of Dharma which continues to revolve till date.
The earliest Buddhist pilgrimage centers are a careful reminder of the teachings and life of Buddha. Four places distinctly own for life and teachings include – Lumbini (Nepal) where he was born, Bodhgaya (Gaya) where he attained “enlightenment”, Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh) where he gave his first teaching and Kusinara (Kushinagar) was the scene of his death where he is said to have attained the final nirvana, salvation or mukti.
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