TRAVEL AGENT KUSHINAGAR
Kushinagar is a pilgrimage town in the Kushinagar Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Gautam Buddha had attained Mahaparinirvana after his death. It is an international Buddhist pilgrimage centre. Other three important places associated with Buddha are Lumbini (birth place), Bodhgaya (Enlightenment) and Sarnath (First teaching).
RAMABHAR STUPA
Located 1.5 KM away from Mahaparnirvana Temple, thislarge Stupa rises to a height of 50 Ft. It marks the site where Lord Buddha wascremated. In ancient Buddhist texts, this Stupa has been referred to as the'Mukut-Bandhan Chaitya'. The landscaped garden here invokes contemplation.
JAPANESE TEMPLE
A beautiful Ashta Dhatu (eight – metal) statue of Lord Buddha, which was brought from Japan, can be seen here.
WAT THAI TEMPLE
The Wat Thai Temple is one of the grandest structures made by the international Thai community. This is a huge temple complex built in the typical Thai Buddhist architectural style.
MATHA KUAR SHRINE
This shrine is located at a distance of about 400 yards from the Nirvana Stupa. A stone portrays of Lord Buddha in the 'Bhumi Sparsha Mudra' (earth touching posture) under the 'Bodhi tree' was excavated here. The inscription on the statue dates it to the 10th – 11th century. Adjacent to this shrine, ruins of a monastery has also been discovered.
GOVT. BUDDHA MUSEUM
This is a museum housing relics of Lord Buddha's era. Located in a brick building, this museum displays the history of Lord Buddha's journey in India. It houses his relics, sculptures and terracotta belongings. It contains find from the site excavations at Kushinagar.
MAHAPARNIRVANA TEMPLE
This is one of the significant religious sites of Kushinagar. The prime attraction here is the 6.10-meter long statue of there inclining Buddha enshrined in a large complex, with manicured gardens. It ishere that Lord Buddha breathed his last in 483 B.C. The image was discovered during the excavations of 1876. Carved from Chunar sandstone, this statue shows lord Buddha reclining on his right side with his eyes closed. An inscription below the statue states that it dates back to the 5th century.
BUDDHA GHAT
Built on the bank of Hiryanvati River that skirts the town, Buddha Ghat is a small and beautiful marble stepped Ghat. A small board with the story of Ananda, one of Lord Buddha's disciple, grieving on his Guru's death leads to the serene spot. There are a few Hindu shrines of Goddess Durga, Lord Hanuman and Shiva-Parvati in the same area.
CHINESE TEMPLE
It is one of the significant temples of the town.The special attraction here is a beautiful statue of Lord Buddha. The double-storeyed pagoda-style temple and monastery stand grandly. It was built by the Vietnamese and Chinese devotees of Lord Buddha.
NIRVANA STUPA
The huge brickwork stupa stands on a 2.74-meter high plinth. Its top is 19.81 meters above the ground level. It was exposed by Carlleyle in 1876. During the excavation, a copper-plate was discovered,containing the text "Nidana-Sutra", which stated that the plate has been deposited in "Niravan – Chaitya" by one Haribala, who even installed the Nirvana Statue of Lord Buddha here. The silver coins of 5th century A.D. were also unearthed at this site .
The gold painted statue of Buddha in the sanctum shrine of the Temple is made of Black stone built by the Pala kings of Bengal. The Buddha is seen seated in the Bhumisparsa Mudra or the Earth touching posture. The Mahabodhi Mahavihara has now been declared a World Heritage Property by the UNESCO on the 27th June 2002.