Ajanta
& Ellora
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Ajanta
& Ellora are famous for the rock cut temples.
One can find 30 rock caves in Ajanta and 34 in Ellora
in Sahyadri hills. This site is protected under the
Archeological Survey of India and included in tha
list of monuments of World Heritage sites. |
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In
Ajanta, one can explore the best of fresco and wall
paintings. The paintings were drown in natural colors
which are still look like a day before touched up.
The paintings narrate the life story and teachings
of Buddha. In Ellora, there are 34 temples among them
12 are Mahayana Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves and
5 are jain caves. Recently 22 more caves were discovered
which were dedicated to lord Shiva. |
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Bodhgaya
Bodhgaya
is the place where Buddha attained Enlightenment under
the Bodhi tree. Bodhgaya is situated near the Niranjana
river. It is one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage
centres. Here one can see temples, monasteries and
25 miter Great Buddha Statue in the Japanese Kamakura
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Gaya
Gaya is just 12 km from Bodhgaya between
Pretshila and Ramshila hills. Its famous because when Buddha
was doing severe penance, he became weak, tired and hungry.
He took a rest under a tree and offered some food by a poor
village woman named Sujata. When he consumed the food he
realised the Supreme Truth that neither extreme self indulgence
nor self mortification is required. Its needed to follow
the Middle Path. To symbolised this event, Sujata Sthan
or Durgeshwari Templeis there.
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As
a Hindu pilgrimage centre gaya is second to Varanasi.
There are some famous temples like, Surya Temple at
Deo, the Sun God Temple at Urnya, the Konchishwar
Maha Deva temple at Konch etc. |
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Kapilavastu
Kapilavastu
was the capital city of Sakya clan. It is the place
where prince Siddharth or Gautam Buddha spent his
childhood. Here he saw sorrow sadness, pain, disease
and death. And then, finally decided to leave all
the worldly richness and pleasure to seek the truth
and salvation.
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In 1971 and 1977, Archaeological
Survey of India conducted an excavation and found Stupas
and inscription of Kushan period. The inscription depicts
that it was "the Devaputra Vihara of the Kapilavastu
bhikshu sangha".
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Kaushambi
Kaushambi
is just 54 km from Allahabad. This place was visited
by Buddha after 6th and 9th years of his enlightenment
and he delivered several sermons here too. The main
attractions of this place are an Ashokan Pillar, an
old fort and the Ghositaram Monastery.
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The archeologists excavated
some sculptures, coins, punch marked and cast coins and
terracotta sculptures from this place which can be seen
at the Allahabad Museum.
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Kushinagar
Kushinagar
is the place where Buddha finally attained Mahaparmirvana.
Here one can find the ruins of Mukutbandhan Stupa
and a beautiful statue of the reclining Buddha and
the Rahul Sankritayan Museum with a collection of
thangka paintings.
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Ladakh
Ladakh
or The little Tibet is a land which has got the highly
importence for the Geographical, historical and human
factors. This little kingdom is sorrounded two mightiest
mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya & the karakoram.
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Here one can see the greatest
monasteries like Alchi, Hemis, Lamayuru, Likir, Phyang,
Shey, Spituk, Stok, Thiksey, Shankar, Basgo, Chemrey , Stakna,
Matho, Mulbekh , Tak-Thog and Cave Monastery.
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Lumbini
Lumbini
was the birthplace of Buddha which was traced in 1890
after 1,500 years. Today it is a small village in
Nepal. After three hundred years of Mahaparinirvana,
"Ashoka the great" visited this place and
set a pillar there. This pillar still remains at the
site. |
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Nalanda
Nalanda
was the most renowned university in ancient India
and one of the bests in world. It was established
in the 5th century B.C.and remained a center of learning
till the 12th century A.D. Then after it was destroyed
by Bakhtiar Khilji.
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Lord Mahavira and Buddha,
both taught here for years. Hsuan Tsang, the Chinese traveler
came here to study logic, meta-physics, medicine, prose
composition and rhetoric.The university used to offered
free educational and residential facilities to 10,000 students
and 2000 teachers. The Ratna Sagar library have contained
nine million volumes. Here The Archaeological Survey of
India maintains the Nalanda Museum which contains the articles
of Pala dynasty. Here one can see the beautiful Thai Temple
and the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara which is a research centre
of Pali and Buddhist studies.
Nagarjunakonda
One can find the excavated remains of
Buddhist civilization at Nagarjunakonda, a unique Island
museum situated in the man-made Nagarjunasagar lake. The
lake was constructed in a shape of a Buddhist Vihara. The
museum contains a number of collection of Buddhist art and
culture like a small tooth and an ear-ring of Buddha.
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The
buddhist monasteries and chaityas were constructed
on top of a hill called Nagarjunakonda which is on
the middle of the lake. The island was named after
Buddhist monk Nagarjuna. Here one can see the statues,
friezes, coins and jewellery of ancient Buddhist periods.
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Orissa
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Dhauli
- Dhauli is famous for Ashoka's Shanti Stpupa
and the inscriptions.It is situated on the banks of
the River Daya and surrounded by the greenery and
paddy fields. The place still reminds the memories
of the Kalinga war which was won by Ashoka. After
the war he changed and became a Buddhist missionary
from a great undefited warrior. |
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The white colored peace
Pagoda was built in collaboration with the Kalinga-Japanese
Buddhist Sangha.
Lalitagiri -
Lalitagiri is situated on a small hill and has a large number
of stupas and chaitya hall. This was one of the earliest
buddhist complex made of brick. One can see the remains
of chaitya hall, stupas and stone stupa on a sand stone
hill.
Ratnagiri -
Ratnagiri was a Buddhist centre from the time of Narasimha
Gupta Baladitya. It is situated on the bank of Birupa river.
Basically it was the centre of Vajrayana Buddhism and played
a great role in the development of the Kalachakratantra
during the 10th century. Today one can see the remains of
university with the beautiful sculpted panels and arches.
Udaygiri -
In Udaigiri,one can see the remains of a monastery which
is recently excavated. The complex of the monastery was
made of brick with a number of sculptures, infact the entire
area was located at the foot hills of a large hill called
Udaygiri.
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Rajgir
Rajgir
or Rajagriha is one of the major point of biddhist
tourist places. During the lifetime of the Buddha
this was the capital of the Magadha which was the
biggest and most powerfull kingdom in north india
ruled by the Mauryas.
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All maurya kings were the
great follower of Buddha.
Rajagriha was the place where Buddha
spent most of his time after his enlightment. King Bimbisara
offered half of his kingdom to Siddhartha. Siddhartha refused,
but promissed to return to Rajagriha after his tour.
The first Buddhist structures at Rajgir
was made by Ajatasatru, when he built a monastery and a
stupa to keep Buddha's ashes. Later the Japanese built the
World Peace Stupa with a golden images of Buddha.
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Sanchi
Sanchi
is a small hilly place where one can enjoy the group
of stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating
from 3rd Century BC to the 12th Century AD. Sanchi
was an ancient place of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage.
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It was included on the World
heritage Sites list for the rich collection of sculpture
and stupas. Here one can find the footprints and the throne
of Buddha.
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Sankisa
Sankisa
is just 47 kms from Farrukhabad, Uttarpradesh. It
is believed that Buddha, Brahma and Devraj Indra descended
here after giving sermons to his mother in heaven.
Now one can see a temple with a statue of the Buddha
and a Ashokan Elephant Pillar. |
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Sarnath
Sarnath
is the place where Buddha preached his first sermon
in the Deer Park. The place contains the most impressive
remains of Buddhism in India. Here one can visit the
Dharmarajika, Chaukhandi and Dharnek stupas, remains
of a monastery and a beautifully polished Lion Capital
of Ashoka.
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Sarnath library and the Mula
gandha Kutir Vihara contains a rich collection of frescoes
by Kosetsu Nosu. The Sarnath Museum contains some of the
finest specimens of Buddhist sculpture.
Sikkim
Sikkim is a small state situated in
the Eastern Himalayan range bordered with Bhutan, Tibet,
Nepal and West Bengal.
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Gangtok,
the capital is famous for the Research Institute of
Tibetology, a centre of study about Buddhist philosophy
and religion. It has a rare collection of 200 Buddha
statues and icons. The Rumtek Monastery houses the
unique collection of art objects in the world. The
famous Enchey Monastery is just 3 kms from Gangtok
which was built 200 years ago by tantrik master Lama
Druptab Karpa. |
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Sravasti
Sravasti
was the capital of ancient kingdom of Kosala where
Buddha spent 24 rainy seasons in the Jetvana Gardens.
The city was founded by the mythological king Sravast.
It is said that Buddha have performed some miracles
here.
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Here one can see the famous
Anand Bodhi tree which was planted by Buddha's main disciple
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Tabo
Tabo
is magnificently located at 3050 metres height in
Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh. The Tabo monastory
is standind on a barren flat ground and is built with
mud brick. |
It is called 'The Ajanta
of the Himalayas'for the rare collection of murals and images.
The monastery has clay statues of Buddha painted in the
Kashmiri style.
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Tawang
Tawang
is a 400 year old monastery which is situated at an
altitude of more than 3000 m. There one can see the
8 meter high gilded statue of Buddha and numerous
ancient and traditional paintings and manuscripts.
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Vaishali
Vaishali
is situated on the bank of the river Ganga. It is
bounded by the hills of Nepal and the river Gandak.
Five years after the Enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, Buddha
came to Vaishali and preached the Ratna Sutra. |
In Vaishali women were ordained
into the Sangha for the first time .The Buddha's foster
mother Mahaprajapati Gautami, along with 500 Sakyan women
made a pilgrimage by foot from Kapilavastu to Vaishali to
join the Order. The Enlightened one was finally persuaded
to admit the women as bhikshunis or nuns.
