Home / Tours / Tour 20 Indo - Nepal Buddha Pilgrimage
Day 01: Arrival Kathmandu : Arrive Kathmandu. Traditional welcome in airport and then you will be transfer to hotel for check in. Late afternoon free at leisure. Overnight in hotel.
Day 02 : Kathmandu : After breakfast embark on a city tour of Kathmandu visiting Pashupatinath Temple - the most sacred of the Hindu temples in Nepal dedicated to lord Shiva, built in 1696. Carry on the sightseeing tour of the Patan - a city of architecture and fine arts. Sometimes known as "Town with a Thousand Golden Roofs". Visit Tibetan Handicraft center at Jawalakhel to watch carpet weaving.
After lunch proceed for Swayambhunath - the oldest Buddhist shrine. Looking east from here, one can see the entire athmandu valley spread out below. A short drive will take to Boudhanath - the worlds largest stupa a sight of great reneration to the Buddhist. Continue to Kathmandu Durbar Square - the temple of the Living Goddess and the old Royal Palace. Finally, visit Kasthamandup - a temple built from a single tree from which the Kathmandu derives its name. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Kathmandu
Day 03: Kathmandu – Lumbini : Breakfast at hotel then visit Jetvanaram and Angulimal Caves. Back to hotel for lunch after lunch drive to Lumbini ( 190 kms, 5 - 6 hrs). Lumbini is at Nepal. Arrival Lumbini, transfer to hotel, check-in, Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 04: Lumbini – Saravasti : Breakfast at hotel then visit Lotus Pond, Mahamaya Temple, the Birth place of Lord Buddha - Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini, in southern Nepal, two thousand five hundred years ago. Since his time, Nepal has been a sacred ground for Buddhist as the births place of Buddha and the monasteries. After these visit, Lunch at hotel then drive to Shravasti. Enroute also visit Kapilvastu. Upon arrival dinner & overnight stay at hotel.
Day 05 : Saravasti – Kushinagar : Breakfast at hotel then visit Saheth (Jethavana) – and Maheth (Angulimala Caves). - Buddha spent 25 years living in the monastery of Jetavana. Many Vinaya rules, Jatakas and Sutras were first discussed at this place. The Buddha is supposed to have astonished rival teachers by performing miracles at Shravasti. It is said that it was in Shravasti that the Buddha transformed Angulimal from a dacoit into a Buddhist monk. He also delivered many important sermons here. King Ashoka erected two pillars 21 meters high on either side of the eastern gateway of the Jetavana monastery. Shravasti was a flourishing center of learning during the Gupta period. When the famed Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited this site, he found several damaged stupas and ruins of monasteries and a palace.
After lunch drive to Kushinagar (130 kms, 4 hrs). Arrival Kushinagar, transfer to Mahaparinirvana temple and Ramabha Stupa (Cremation centre). Check-in hotel. Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 06 : Kushinagar – Vaishali – Patna : Breakfast at hotel then drive to Patna (280 kms, 07 hrs) with pack lunch, enroute visit Vaishali. Arrival Patna, check-in hotel, dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 07 : Patna – Rajgir – Nalanda – Bodhgaya : Breakfast at hotel then drive to Nalanda (85 kms), visit ruins of ancient university. Lunch will be served at Nalanda tourist cafeteria. After lunch drive to Rajgir (15 kms), visit Gridhkuta Peak, Venuvanaram and Bimbisara Jail. Drive To Bodhgaya. Arrival Bodhgaya (65 kms), transfer to hotel. Dinner and overnight in a hotel at Bodhgaya.
Full day sightseeings at Bodhgaya, visiting places like Mahabodhi temple, Sujata Village, Niranajana River. All meals and overnight at hotel.
Day 08 : Bodhgaya – Varanasi : Breakfast at hotel then drive to Varanasi (250 kms). On arrival check in to the hotel and then proceed to Sarnath (14 kms), Visit Dhamekha Stupa and Deer park. Back to Varanasi. Check-in hotel, Dinner and overnight in a hotel at Varanasi.
Day 09 :Varanasi – Delhi by flight – Departure : Early morning boat ride on the holy river Ganges, back to hotel for Breakfast. After breakfast free for shopping, Varanasi is famous for its silk products. Lunch at hotel timely transfer to airport to catch flight for Delhi. On arrival Delhi direct proceed to Dinner at a local Restaurant and then departure transfer to airport to catch the onward flight.
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The most important places of pilgrimage in Buddhism are located in the Gangetic plains of Northern India and Southern Nepal, in the area between New Delhi and Rajgir. This is the area where Gautama Buddha lived and taught, and the main sites connected to his life are now important places of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus. However, many countries that are or were predominantly Buddhist have shrines and places which can be visited as a pilgrimage.
Places where Buddha lived
Four main pilgrimage sites
Gautama Buddha is said to have identified four sites most worthy of pilgrimage for his followers, saying that they would produce a feeling of spiritual urgency. These are:
Lumbini: birthplace (in Nepal)
Bodh Gaya: the place of his Enlightenment (in the current Mahabodhi Temple,Bihar, India).
Sarnath: (formally Isipathana,Uttar pradesh, India) where he delivered his first teaching.
Kusinara: (now Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India) where he died.
The Eight Great Place
Pilgrimage to
Buddha's
Holy Sites
Dharma Wheel.svg
The Four Main Sites
Bodh Gaya Kushinagar Lumbini Sarnath
Four Additional Sites
Rajgir Sankassa Shravasti Vaishali
Other Sites
Amaravathi Chandavaram Devadaha
Gaya Kapilavastu Kesaria
Kosambi Nalanda Pataliputra
Pava Varanasi
Later Sites
Ajanta Caves Barabar Caves Bharhut
Ellora Caves Lalitgiri Mathura
Pandavleni Caves Piprahwa Ratnagiri
Sanchi Udayagiri Vikramashila
In the later commentarial tradition, four other sites are also raised to a special status because Buddha had performed a certain miracle there. These four places, partly through the inclusion in this list of commentarial origin, became important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in ancient India, as the Attha-mahathanani (Pali for 'The Eight Great Places'). It is important to note, however, that some of these events do not occur in the Tipitaka and are thus purely commentarial.
The first four of the Eight Great Places are identical to the places mentioned by the Buddha:
Lumbini
Bodh Gaya
Sarnath
Kusinara
The last four are places where a certain miraculous event is reported to have occurred:
Sravasti: Place of the Twin Miracle, showing his supernatural abilities in performance of miracles. Sravasti is also the place where Buddha spent the largest amount of time, being a major city in ancient India.
Rajgir: Place of the subduing of Nalagiri, the angry elephant, through friendliness. Rajgir was another major city of ancient India.
Sankassa: Place of the descending to earth from Tusita heaven (after a stay of 3 months teaching his mother the Abhidhamma).
Vaishali: Place of receiving an offering of honey from a monkey. Vaishali was the capital of the Vajjian Republic of ancient India
Some other pilgrimage places in India and Nepal connected to the life of Gautama Buddha are: Pataliputta, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Gaya, Kapilavastu, Kosambi, Amaravati, Nagarjuna Konda, Sanchi, Varanasi, Kesariya, Devadaha, Pava and Mathura. Most of these places are located in the Gangetic plain.