Buddhist Tours in India
Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is located near the Nepal-India border. It has the Sacred Garden, Maya Devi Temple, Puskani Pond, Asoka Pillar, Buddha Temple and Lumbini Museum to see. Many auspicious signs accompanied the Buddha"s birth, including the sprouting of the bodhi tree. Bodh Gaya is marked by Mahabodhi Temple. It is here that Buddha attained enlightenment at a very young age under a fig tree after years of search for the truth and knowledge. The tourist attractions of Bodhgaya are the Mahabodhi Temple, Mahabodhi Tree, Shakyamuni Buddha, Vajrasana, Ancient Railing, Lotus Tank, Chankaramana, Animeshlochana and Ratnagar.Sarnath is the place where Buddha gave his first sermon after achieving enlightenment. It is in close proximity to Varanasi. The splendid Dhamekha Stupa at Sarnath was originally erected by King Ashoka, as was the famous lion capital pillar, now the proud symbol of India. The tourist attractions of Sarnath are the Chaukhandi Stupa, Dhamek Stupa, Mulgandha Kuti Vihar, Sarnath Museum, Dharmrajika Stupa, Lion Capital and the excavated ruins of the Saddharmachakra Vihar. In Kushinagar, close to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India en route to Kapilavastu, Lord Buddha fell ill and left this world. The tourist attractions of Kushinagar are the Mahaparinirvana Temple, Nirvana Chaitya, Ramabhar Stupa, Matha Kuar Shrine, Meditation Park, Indo-Japan-Sri Lanka Temple, Wai Thai Temple and the Museum.
Besides these Vaishali, the place where Buddha preached his last sermon, Rajgir and Nalanda University, and Shravasti, Buddha"s favourite rainy season retreat where he performed his first miracle, are also of prime significance.
The places of birth and enlightenment of Buddha are perhaps the two most important sites of pilgrimage for Buddhists in the world today. These are accompanied by a number of other sites marking the spread of Buddhism throughout the Indian sub-continent. Though the sects and beliefs within Buddhism are many, they all look upon these sites in north India with great reverence.