After Buddha steps
Route in North India and Nepal
Sangha Services offers you the opportunity of knowing the most important places of Buddhism in India.
Buddha was born, lived and died in India more than 2500 years ago. Thanks to the arqueologists' work over the last 150 years, today many of the places where he was are important pilgrimage places for millions of people from all over the world. Places full of energy that invite us to the inner peace and meditation.
Alone or with a group, organize your trip with us and come… after Buddha steps.
We will accompany you and give you the details. You can design your tour or make it with us.
Suggested route:Lumbini,Kapilvastu,Vaishali,Bodhgaya, Nalanda y Rajgir,Sarnath,Kushinagar.
1.Lumbini.
Birth place of Buddha in the year 563 BC. It is aWorld Heritage Siteand is located in Nepal, near the Indian border.
In Lumbini you can find theMaya Devi Templewhich commemorates the place where the prince Sidharta (name of Buddha before enlightenment) was born. The German arqueologist A. Futzer excavated the place and found the first footsteps of baby Shidharta and theAshoka Pilar, build by this Indian king in the year 300 BC.
Inside the Temple park you can find the water pond where Maya bathed before the delivery. Also in Lumbini we can find differentmonasteries from many Buddhist traditions from all over the world.
2. Kapilvastu.
Located between India and Nepal. Here is theoldest Buddhist stupadated on V Century BC by the Sakhya dynasty and the ruins of Buddha’s father's palace, the King Suddhodan, where Buddha spent his childhood.
This arqueological site on the indian side is known asPiprahwa.
3. Vaishali.
Vaishali is the place where Buddha met hisfirst spiritual teacher, Alarkalam. There Buddha stayed 3 rainy seasons and founded the firstwomen congregation or Sangha. Also in this place he delivered his last teaching before death, and 100 years after his death the 2nd Buddhist Council took place. A very interesting place for Buddhism.
In Vaishali we can findAnanda´s stupa, Buddha's relique stupa(from the 1stCentury BC)and one Ashoka Pilar.
4. Bodhgaya, Rajgir and Nalanda.
Located in the state of Bihar, these three places are very important for the history of Buddhism.
Bodhgaya is aWorld Heritage Site. There Buddha reached enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at the age of 35. After enlightenment, Buddha stayed 7 weeks during meditation practices at this place. TheMaha Bodhi Templerepresents the place were Buddha attained enlightenment, and on it is the Bodhi Tree. A place full of magic.
Also in Bodhgaya we can find the18 foot Buddha, the Mahakala cavewhere Buddha meditated 3 years before enlightenment, theSugatra Templeand many temples from the different Buddhist traditions of all over the world.
Buda de 18 pies
Maha Bodhi Temple
Rajgir, 80 km from Bodhgaya, is the place where Buddha met his 2nd teacher. After enlightenment Buddha stayed there5 rainy seasonsand delivered many teachings in the mountain known as the Vulture Peak, between them the famousHeart Sutra.
Also in Rajgir the1st Buddhist counciltook place 6 months after Buddha's death.
Vulture peak
Shrine at Vulture peak
Nalandawas thefirst Buddhist University in the world. Built in the year 500 AC Nalanda was a place of study for scholars such asNagarjun or Mahavir. In the year 1200 AC Muslim invaders destroyed the university and burned the library.
Ruins of Nalanda University
5. Sarnath.
14 km from Varanasi, Sarnath is known as the birth place of Buddhism, because thereBuddha delivered his first teachingafter enlightenment:the 4 noble Truths. In Sarnath Buddha stayed his first rainy season after enlightenment, and founded thefirst congregation or Sanghawith 60 members.
Ruins at Sarnath park
Conmemorative stupa at Sarnath
6. Kushinagar.
In Kushinagar Buddha attainedParanirvanaat the age of 80. There we can find arelique stupaof Buddha and the place that commemorates Buddha´s cremation.
At the temple we can find a statue of Buddha in the Nirvana position. This is a place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists of all the world.
Paranirvana statue
Kushinagar temple
Waterpond at the Temple
Maya Devi Temple
Ruins of Suddhodhan Palace
Conmemorative stupa
Ashoka Pilar
View of the park with Ananda´s stupa and Ashoka´s pilar
18 foot Buddha statue