Born to a royal couple from Kapilavastu, Siddhartha who is popularly known as Gautama Buddha grew up in an environment that hid the fundamental realities of life. His father never wanted his son to be touched by human sufferings and raised him luxuriously. But Siddhartha was destined to detach himself from materialistic life. He chose to lead a life that would inspire the world. In this photo-feature, we will take a look at the four main places that are associated with the life of Gautama Buddha. Thousands of devotees from across the world visit these Buddhism pilgrimage sites. There are five places that are considered to be the main place for the followers of Lord Buddha worldwide. The Buddhist Circuit is a route that follows in the footsteps of the Buddha from Lumbini in Nepal where he was born, through Bihar in India where he attained enlightenment, to Sarnath and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh in India, where he gave his first teachings and died.
Lumbini - Lumbini, Rupandehi, Province No. 5, Nepal
Due to the birth of Mahatma Gautama Buddha, it became the best place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. The importance of Lumbini is known since the time of the great Ashoka emperor. After being initiated into Buddhism, the great Ashoka emperor traveled to the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. And many stupas and viharas were built here. To know more click below link
Mahabodhi Temple Complex - Bodhgaya, Gaya, Bihar, India
Bodh Gaya is the location where, under the sacred pipal tree, Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. Gautama Buddha meditated, preached and attained enlightenment under this tree. A simple shrine was built by the emperor Ashoka to mark the spot, and this was later enclosed by a stone railing. To know more click below link
Sarnath Buddhist Temple - Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Lord Buddha gave his first sermon here after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. During his reign, Emperor Ashoka came to Sarnath to spread the message of love and peace of Lord Buddha and built a stupa here in 249 BCE. To know more click below link
Mahaparinirvana Stupa - Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
Kushinagar is this place that the Buddha had chosen to free himself from the cycles of death and life and, therefore, it occupies a very special space in the heart of every Buddhist. This houses a 6.10 meter long statue of the Buddha in a reclining position represents the dying Buddha reclining on his right side. To know more click below link
Mukutbandhan Chaitya(Ramabhar Stupa) - Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
This is where Buddha’s body is said to have been cremated. Architecturally, this half-ruined 15m-high stupa is little more than a large, dome-shaped clump of red bricks. The excavations led by General Cunningham have revealed structures and artifacts related to all sects of Buddhism. To know more click below link
Mukutbandhan Chaitya - Ramabhar Stupa
Jetavana Sahet Mahavihara Monastery - Jetavana, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, India
Lord Buddha performed the greatest of his miracles to confound the Tirthika heretics. These miracles include Buddha creating multiple images of himself, which has been a favorite theme of Buddhist art. Shravasti is a huge complex full of Buddhist stupas, viharas, and temples. To know more click below link
Jetavana Sahet Mahavihara Monastery
Sankassa Buddhist Site - Sankassa, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Buddha went up to the Tusita Heaven, spent three months there teaching the Abhidhamma to his mother and then descended back to earth at the village of Sankassya. King Asoka erected one of his pillars here. To know more click below link
Vishwa Shanti Stupa - Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India
Buddha often visited this place, seeking the solitude and tranquillity of the Jivkamaravana monastery and preaching and meditating at the Griddhakuta hill. At this hill, he converted one of the celebrated followers, the Mauryan King Bimbisara, to Buddhism. When Buddha arrived at ‘Parinirvana’ his devotees held the first Buddhist council at the Saptaparni cave. It was here, that his teachings were penned down for the very first time. To know more click below link
Vaishali Buddist Sanctuary - Kolhua, Vaishali, Bihar, India
Buddha announced the approaching of his Mahaparinirvana here. During one of his visits there, Buddha was offered a bowl of honey by a monkey; this incident is mentioned as one of the eight great events in his life. It was at Vaishali that several people embraced after Buddha had displayed divine presentations of his spirituality. Vaishali is also very important for the fact that it was here that women were made part of Sangha for the first time in the history of Buddhism. Mahaprajapati Gautami, who was Gautam Buddha’s foster mother, had also joined the order at Vaishali with 500 Shakya-women. To know more click below link
