Four places you can’t miss in Buddhist tour packages

What is now a major world religion, Buddhism, originated in sixth century in India. Pillared on the spiritual teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, you can now enrol for the Buddhist Pilgrimage tours should you wish to explore more about this serene religion.

There are a number of places regarded as the top places for Buddhist tour packages. 

Here is the most popular trip plan you can opt for –

If you are starting from New Delhi, your first stop will be at Lucknow – the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Visit Pali Savatthi, the city of ancient India, which is located along the banks of Rapti River. It was the capital of the Kosala Kingdom in the 6th century as today is a revered Buddhist site.

Bodhgaya

Possibly best described as the principal center of Buddhist Pilgrimage tours, Bodhgaya is considered as one of the four most important holy sites of the religion. This is where it is believed Buddha attained his enlightenment. Visit Mahabodhi Temple and the Sujata Village and the various other monasteries around the place.

Nalanda University

While on the trip to Bodhgaya, you can have your stops at Nalanda which is now a global destination for not just the Buddhists but tourists from every quarter. It has the ruins of ancient Buddhist educational institutions, Nalanda University.

Rajgir

Rajgir is yet another key destination in any Buddhist tour packages because this is where he spent several months meditating. In fact, he started preaching at Griddhkuta Hills (also called the Hill of Vultures) and was decided as the site for the First Buddhist Council.

Sarnath

While at Uttar Pradesh, you cannot miss visiting Varanasi. Sarnath is the place where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon and undeniably is one of the top destinations for Buddhist tour packages. With the impressive remains and a modern Buddhist temple, it is going to be one of the best tours when looking for religious trips in India.

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• Explore the serene beauty of Buddhist Tours

Explore the serene beauty of Buddhist Tours

The roots of Buddhism can be traced back to 6th century BC in India when there was a paradoxical rise of various heterodox sects. The emergence can be attributed as a reaction to the immense demands in the then-thriving sacrificial Brahmanism. The historical facts attest to the presence of at least 63 such sects of which the two major ones - Jainism and Buddhism survived the test of time.

Buddhism, today, has sprouted amongst various parts of the globe and has transcended to be more than just a source of religious inspiration but brackets an entire sect of culture and art.

Tourists from all across the globe, and more so from the Theravada Buddhist world such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh and from Mahayana Buddhist world like Nepal, Tibet, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, China, Mongolia, Indonesia has always been fascinated by the inscrutable mystery of Indian territory. The Buddhist Tour Packages beautifully comprises of this holy pilgrimage route and can be customized as per the time and budget of the travelers.

Being one of the most popular tributaries of Indian tourism, the Buddhist Pilgrimage Tours India has seen a significant accentuation. Let's have a look –

Bihar

Mahabodhi temple

Bodh Gaya’s Mahabodhi Temple complex (deemed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is possibly the star attraction for any Buddhist traveler. The complex has the Bodhi Tree where Prince Siddhartha of Lumbini (Nepal) attained enlightenment approximately 2,500 years ago. Upon becoming Buddha, the journey of today's one of the most peace-loving religion started all the way from here. The Animeshlochana Temple, Ajapala Nigrodha Tree, the Rajayatana Tree, Cankamana or the Cloister Walk are the other highlights of the trip.

The capital of the Magadhan Empire, Rajgir is the home of Griddhakuta Hill where Buddha resided. It is the site where the first international Buddhist council was organized after his demise.

Uttar Pradesh

Kushinagar

Kapilvastu and Kushinagar are two main sites that are included in all Buddhist Tour Packages. Many historians believe Kapilvastu is where Siddhartha stayed before reaching Bodh Gaya. Kushinagar is the place of Buddha’s mahaparinirvana (death) which has the Mahaparinirvana Temple and 20-feet tall reclining Buddha statue from 5th century.

Dhamek Stupa

Buddha delivered his first sermon to his disciples in Sarnath which is about thirteen kilometers from Varanasi. The memorials here were built under Emperor Ashoka and have the two most famous stupas - Chaukhandi and the Dhamek Stupa.

Sravasti or as called Sahet-Mahet in the old times is famous as the site where Buddha performed several miracles. Situated about 180km from Gorakhpur, it is one of the most revered places included under the Buddhist Tour India.

Other places you cannot miss-

Tawang Monastery

• Dzongkhul Monastery, Jammu & Kashmir
• Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh
• Gandhola Monastery and Kardang Monastery, Himachal Pradesh
• Dhauli, Orissa

Recent development

Bringing in an array of developed facilities for tourists and pilgrims, there have been initiatives such as the Look East a policy that propagates the Buddhist heritage of India. Focusing on tourism intelligence, cashless fiscal system, audio-visual guides, multiple purposes utility cards, the Buddhist pilgrimage sites are seeing increase footfalls than ever, and all you can enjoy in Buddhist Tour Packages.

Some Popular Buddhist Tour Packages in India are:

• Buddhist Dharma Tour Package - 03 NIGHTS – 04 DAYS
• Buddhist Trail Tour Package - 06 NIGHTS – 07 DAYS
• North East India Buddhist Tour Package - 06 NIGHTS –07 DAYS
• BuddhaEnlightenment Tour Package - 08 NIGHTS – 09 DAYS
• Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour Package - 08 NIGHTS – 09 DAYS, etc

Visit here for all - 

Buddhist Tour Packages

Your can also read:- 

• Footsteps of Buddha Tour – One of the Best Pilgrimage Tours
• Most Famous Buddhist Monasteries in India – Buddhist India Tour
• 10 Best Buddhist Temples in India You Must Visit On Your Buddhist Tour