The Enlightened One’s Lumbini (near the Nepal-India border) born Siddhartha Gautam, sometime during the 6th century BC, attained Enlightenment or Nirvana at the age of 29 after rigorous meditation under a tree at Bodhgaya. Thus was born Buddha or the “Awakenened” and his preaching conjoined to give to the World one of its greatest religions Buddhism.

Buddhism upholds Four Noble Truths:
1. Why are we here?
2. Why are we not happy with our lives?
3. What is the cause of our unhappiness and suffering?
4. How can we see the end of suffering and experience eternal peace?


Buddha’s spiritual quest ended when he found the answers to these. Buddhism aims at awakening each individual to look into oneself and it guides them to find a solution that will liberate them from all sufferings. Buddhism is not pessimistic denial of pleasures, it is ‘realistic’ in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life’s many sufferings, and it is ‘optimistic’ in that it shows a final end to the problem: Nirvana Enlightenment in this very life! And this Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a path called the Middle Way, or the Eightfold Path.

Discover more about the glory and the preaching of Lord Buddha in the sites that are ranked the most important Buddhist Pilgrimage destination in India:

Bodhgaya - where the Buddha was Enlightened: A 105 km drive from the Bihar Capital, Patna, will take you to a place where Prince Siddhartha meditated under a tree incessantly for three days, some 2500 years back and attained enlightenment. The Bodhi tree got destroyed many times, but sprouted time and again, and today it is one of the oldest and the most venerated tree in the world. The Vajrasana platform where Buddha performed his penance is located below the Bodhi tree, and this spot is described as the center of the Universe. The Mahabodhi temple has a 150 ft high tower, and it contains a gilded image of Buddha. Other places of interest here include the Tibetan, Japanese and Burmese monasteries. The Tibetan monastery houses the massive Dharma Chakra or the wheel of law.

Sarnath - where the Buddha preached his First Sermon: In the Ganges valley of Uttar Pradesh, 10 km from the Hindu pilgrimage spot, Varanasi, is where Buddha preached his laws of spiritual Enlightenment: the the four noble truths, the eightfold path and the middle way philosophy. The Dhamekha Stupa, Chaukhandi, the Asoka Pillar (adopted as India’s national emblem) are spots of interest. Also do not miss out the Buddhist temple built in 1931, that claims to have Buddha's original relics.

Rajgir - where the Buddha walked and preached: Buddha’s landmarks abound this place: Venuvana, the bamboo brake where the Buddha and his disciples lived; Karnada Tank, where the Buddha used to bathe; Jivakamarvana, the orchard presented to the Buddha by the physician Jivaka; Griddakuta Hill (the hill of vultures) from where the Buddha delivered his sermons and the Sattapani Cave, where the First Buddhist Council was convened. Recently, the Japanese built the World Peace Stupa, with its gilded images of the Buddha. The association of Buddhism with peace goes back to 250 B.C. when Emperor Asoka became a convert to it out of revulsion at the carnage in his conquest of Kalinga. The Centaur Hokke Club offers some traditional facilities to Japanese pilgrims. The Burmese, also have built a temple. There are hot springs at Rajgir, around which Hindu and Jain temples have been built.

Shravasti - where the Buddha performed great miracles: Some 25 years of the Buddha’s life was spent in the monastery of Jetavana here in Shravasti (Uttar Pradesh, 151 km from Lucknow). Lores of his miracles still exude every household of this archaic village: of how on throwing down the seed of a mango, a great mango tree instantly arose; how the Buddha stood in the air, the lower part of his body engulfed in flames, with five hundred jets of water streaming from the top of his body; of how he transformed Angulimal (who cut his victims fingers) from a dacoit into a Buddhist monk. King Ashoka’s 21 meters high pillars on either side of the Jetavana monastery are noteworthy.

Sankashya - where the Buddha descended from the Tushita Heaven: To encourage ladies to become Buddhist Monks, Buddha went to the Heaven to preach his deceased mother, Queen Maya, the attainment of Nirvana. And Sankashya, in Uttar Pradesh, was where he descended after his celestial jaunt. Otherwise in ruins, the Ashoka pillar with an elephant capital and the sea of pilgrims are reasons this place still breathes.


Nalanda - where is the University of Buddhist studies: Nalanda means ‘insatiable in giving’, and once hosted one of the greatest monastic universities of the ancient world. This 5th century center of learning in Uttar Pradesh once housed a library containing 9 million volumes, offered free educational and residential facilities to as many as 10,000 students and 2000 teachers. Its merciless destruction in the 12th century by the invader Bakhtiar Khilji, gave a crippled Buddhist education in India. Excavations have revealed the ruins of 6 temples, 11 monasteries, the Sariputra Stupa built by Asoka to honor the Buddha’s first disciple, Ananda, and scattered chaityas or prayer halls. Today, modern research centers stand tall in the site where once Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavira taught.

Kushinagar - where Prince Siddhartha freed himself from the cycle of existence/samsara: The Mahaparinirvana temple (also known as the Nirvana temple) of this sleepy village in Bihar, has the world famous 6m (19.68 ft) long statue of the reclining Buddha, that represents dying Buddha.


Besides these most significant ones, some other Buddhist sites of importance in India are:
Himachal Pradesh: Mc Leodganj (center of Tibetan Buddhist faith in Dharamshala), Lahaul Spiti (for its Buddhist monasteries), Kinnaur (a gompa in each village), Rewalsar (place of Guru Rimpoche who spread mahayana Buddhism in Tibet).

Jammu and Kashmir: Leh Ladakh (for its monasteries like Shey, Thiksey, Stakna, Matto, Chembray,Tak-Tok, Hemis, Spituk, Phyang, Likir, Alchi, Ridzong and Lamayuru).

Madhya Pradesh: Sanchi ( for its Four Gateways, the Great Stupa 1, Stupa 2 and 3, the Ashokan Pillar)

Arunachal Pradesh: Tawang and Bomdila (for the monasteries and lama population)

Sikkim: Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, Do-Drul Chorten (Stupa), Deer Park.


India also has the famous Buddhist Cave Temples, Ajanta, Ellora, Kanheri and Karli located in western India