| Trail
of Buddha |
| Click
here for booking |
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| From Siddhartha
to Sakyamuni and finally to Buddha or Enlightened one-
an incredible transformation of a prince to an enlightened
teacher, who walked the earth more than 25000 years ago. |
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| The
concept of Buddhist Circuit is initiated to enlighten
the visitors about the religious and archaeological significance
of the places related to Lord Buddha. It is meant for
all types of visitors; either the pilgrims with the religious
faith towards Buddhism or researchers on various aspects
of Buddhism or even to the tourists on a site seeing tour. |
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| DELHI
Delhi offers a multitude of interesting places
and attractions to the visitor, so much so that it becomes
difficult to decide from where to begin exploring the
city. The important places in Old Delhi includes the Red
Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Delhi Gate, and
Raj Ghat and
Shanti Vana,
the last two being modern structures constructed after
India's Independence in 1947. Notable attractions in New
Delhi include the Rashtrapati
Bhawan, India Gate, Laxminarayan Temple, Humayun's Tomb,
Purana Quila, Tughlaqabad, Qutab Minar, and Bahai
Temple. |
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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.
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. Some of the other
interesting places to visit around the city are Alamgir
Mosque, Durga Temple, Vishwanat Temple, Bharat Mata temple,
Tulsi Manas Temple, Banaras Hindu University and the Archaeological
Museum. |
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| 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. |
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| The
Dharmarajika, Chaukhandi
and Dharnek
stupas are outstanding. There are also the remains of
a monastery, and the beautifully polished Lion Capital
of Ashoka. |
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| BODHGAYA
As the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment, Bodhgaya is
the spiritual home of Buhddhists. It attracts tens of
thousands of believers from all over the world. Bodhgaya
situated near the river Niranjana, is one of the holiest
Buddhist pilgrimage centres since it was here that Buddha
attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. |
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| NALANDA
was the most renowned university
in ancient India. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains
the Nalanda Museum across the road which houses some exquisite
bronzes of the 9th and 10th centuries, Pala dynasty, and
other remains excavated at the site. The beautiful Thai
Temple and the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, a centre for research
in Pali and Buddhist studies, are 2 kms from the main
site. |
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RAJGIR The picturesque
Rajgir, or Rajagriha as it was known in the past (literally,
the abode of kings) is surrounded by the meandering river
Banganga and 5 hills.
During the lifetime of the Buddha this was the capital
of the powerful Magadhan kingdom, ruled by the virtuous
King Bimbisara, Prince Siddhartha, after he renounced
his royal heritage came to this city to seek the path
of vation. |
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| PATNA
Part of the famous Buddhist centre of East India, Patna
is the base for many important places around. Bodhgaya
is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage in the world
where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Gaya
is a famous Hindu pilgrimage and related to many legends
in Hindu religious literature. Nalanda
has the distinction of being the place which at one point
of time was home to the largest university in the world.
Vaishali is
a place of historical as well as religious importance
to the Buddhists as well as Jains. |
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| KUSHINAGAR
A small dusty town in the
eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagar is the place
where Lord Gautam Buddha breathed his last. The religious
significance of Kushinagar can be perceived by the fact
that a large number of followers visit this place everyday.
This is also the place where Lord Buddha preached his
last sermon and said, /"All things must pass. Decay
is inherent in all things |
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LUMBINI
Lumbini, the birthplace
of the Buddha, was located in 1890 after being untraced
for 1,500 years. Lumbini grove, the sacred site of Lord
Buddha's birth is today a small village in Nepal, 27 km
from Sonauli on the Indo-Nepal Border.
Three hundred years after the Mahaparinirvana, Emperor
Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected a pillar there. This
pillar, though broken, still remains at the site. It is
known as the Rummendei Pillar after the earlier name of
the place (modern name Rupandhei) in Nepal. |
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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. 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. |
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| LUCKNOW
The capital of Uttar
Pradesh, Lucknow lying on the banks of river Gomati, is
a city synonymous with the Nawabi Culture. In ultimate
analysis, the city is a perfect blend of ancient with
the modern, as many glitzy shopping plazas co exist with
the old historical monuments. Someof places of interest
are Bara imambara, Rumi darwaza and state museum. |
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| AGRA
For most of the time Agra
alternated with Delhi as the capital of the Mughal Empire.
As such one finds many marvels of the Mughal architecture
in and around the city, the most famous of them being
the Taj Mahal. Not only does the story of the love of
a king for his wife haunt its visitors but also the architectural
splendour leave its visitors mesmerized. The Agra Fort,
built by the great Emperor Akbar in 1565 A.D., is a masterpiece
of design and construction. |
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| Best
season October – March |
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