Bhuddhist Tour India
VISITING: DELHI - LUCKNOW - SRAVASTI - LUMBINI - KUSHINAGAR - VAISHALI - PATNA - VARANASI - SARNATH - AGRA - DELHI
Arrive New Delhi. Assistance on arrival and transfer to your hotel. Check-in time 12 noon. Delhi– Delhi as the capital of India Delhi is the seat of administration and the monuments which tell the saga of a bygone era stand there. These icons are testimony to the grandeur of past and also an attraction for the tourists. With an area of 1483 sq. Kms, Delhi is all set to acquire full statehood. The charm of Delhi has attracted Emperors, Conquerors and poor in equally. It is correctly said that Delhi is a land of ‘Dilwalas’ or for people with heart.
This phrase acquires a true colour when one goes around the lanes of Delhi. Delhi– a window to the kaleidoscope that is India. From a string of historical monuments to modern commercial centers, Delhi has evolved into an exceptional and dynamic destination offering a wealth of shopping and sightseeing activities. Tourism in Delhi has undergone a sea change in recent times as the city is in the process of a steady makeover.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 02: DELHI – LUCKNOW – SRAVASTI
Morning transfer to railway station in time to board Swarn Shatabdi Express for Lucknow (Departure @ 0615 HRS)
Assistance on arrival in Lucknow and proceed to Sravasti. On arrival transfer to your hotel.
Sravasti is situated in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh around 176 km off Lucknow. Sravasti has two villages, Sahet and Mahet. From the Balrampur-Sravasti road one can enter Sahet, which is spread over an area of 400 acres and has a number of ruins. A little north of Sahet, towards the Rapti River, is the ancient fortified city of Mahet. The entrance to the mud fortification of Mahet is constructed in a beautiful crescent shape.
Sravasti was also under the influence of Lord Mahavira the last Jain Tirthankar, and the splendid Shwetambara temple here attracts thousands of Jain pilgrims. The Sobhnath Temple is believed to the birthplace of the Jain Tirthankar Sambhavnath
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 03: SRAVASTI – LUMBINI BY SURFACE (225 KMS / 5.5 HRS)
Morning guided visit to Sahet & Mahet and later proceed to Lumbini enroute visiting countryside.
Lumbini: Another important destination for the Buddhist pilgrims, Lumbini, in Nepal, is the Birthplace of Lord Buddha and houses some of the most revered Buddhist monasteries. Most important of these being, the Maya-Devi Temple and the sacred pond which are associated to the roots of Buddhism.
Later visit Mayadevi temple devoted to Maya Devi, the mother of Lord Buddha, the temple attracts praise for its architectural beauty. Credit of discovering the temple, in 1895, goes to a German archaeologist. The temple is remarkable in the way Maya Devi is shown giving birth to Lord Buddha.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 04: LUMBINI – KUSHINAGAR BY SURFACE (180 KMS / 4.5 HRS)
Morning proceed to Kushinagar enroute visiting countryside and transfer to your hotel.
Kushinagar being the place where Buddha dies, this holy place is a highly revered place for the Budddhist pilgrims and stand in the same list, in terms of grade, to other three-parinirvana places. Earlier known as Kushawati and Kushinara, this place has a long and interesting history behind it. The most important aspect for its importance is that Lord Buddha was cremated in Rambhar, which falls in the same region. Also, this place is associated with the great Jain tirthankar Mahaveer, and thus is also a favoured tourist destination for the Jains.
Later guided city sightseeing visiting Nirvana Temple and Rambhar Stupa.
Nirvana Temple: Set in a leafy park at the heart of Kushinagar, the Nirvana Stupa, dating back to the reign of Kumaragupta I (413-55AD), enshrines a giant statue of the Buddha, in a reclining position. It was extensively rebuilt, by Burmese Buddhists, in 1927. The surrounding area is strewn with Stupas, erected by pious pilgrims, and ruins of four monasteries.
Rambhar Stupa: About 1.5 km southeast of the Nirvana Temple, surrounded by rice, wheat and cane fields, lies at the Rambhar Stupa. It was popularly believed to be the place, where Buddha was created by the Mallas.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 05: KUSHINAGAR – VAISHALI – PATNA BY SURFACE (280 KMS / 7 HRS)
Morning proceed to Patna enroute visiting Vaishali.
A small village in the state of Bihar, Vaishali is a very famous Buddhist pilgrimage in India. The name “Vaishali” means prosperity and the place seems to live upto its name. Though it looks like an ordinary village, an excavation carried out in the area revealed a rich cultural and historical legacy. It is said that the world’s first democratic confederation was developed over here during 6th Century B.C. Another significance of this place is that it is the birthplace of Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism in India.
It was at Vaishali that Lord Buddha announced his proximity to Nirvana. The place witnessed one of the eight great events in the life of Buddha. It was here that a monkey offered honey to Buddha. It is thus an important pilgrim place for both Buddhists and Jains.
Later Proceed to Patna enroute visiting countryside.
Patna is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world and present day Patna is located on the southern bank of the Ganges, 90 kms from Nalanda. Patna is the capital city of the state of Bihar and was formerly known as Pataliputra, which was the capital of the Mauryan Empire. The name Patna is said to have been derived from Patan which happens to be the name of a Hindu Goddess Patan devi. Patna is now a renowned name in the tourism industry and is an important place of tourist interest housing lots of attractions that reflect its glorious past.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 06: PATNA – NALANDA – RAJGIR – BODHGAYA BY SURFACE (200 KMS)
Morning proceed to Bodhgaya enroute visiting Nalanda and Rajgir.
Nalanda, where ruins of the great ancient university have been excavated, is situated at a distance of 103 km from Bodhgaya by road. The ruins extend over a large area and represent only a part of the extensive establishment. There are many versions of what the term Nalanda means. One is that Nalam means Lotus and Da means to give. Both combined together, Nalanda means Giver of Lotus. Since Lotus is supposed to represent knowledge, Nalanda means Giver of Knowledge. Today is in ruins but still it imparts the scholarly look. The archaeological zone here is classified into a number of sites that include 11 monasteries and several temples built in red bricks.
Rajgir, though small area wise, is an important pilgrimage center for three of the great religions of India, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. There are pilgrimage sites of each of these religions in the town. On the Vaibhava hill are the Saptkarni caves where the first Buddhist Council was held. The Saptkarni cave is also the source of the Rajgir hot Sulphur springs that have curative properties and are scared to the Hindu’s
Later proceed to Bodhgaya and transfer to your hotel.
Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha,the Enlightened One. Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (now in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar. Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation and empathy for everything living. Significantly, the state’s name of ‘Bihar’ originated from ‘Vihara’ meaning monasteries which abounded in Bihar.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 07: BODHGAYA – VARANASI BY SURFACE (256 KMS / 6 HRS)
Morning guided visit to Mahabodhi Temple and Bodhi Tree.
Mahabodhi Temple: The temple stands in the east to the Bodhi Tree. Its architectural effect is superb. Its basement is 48 square feet and it rises in the form of a slender Pyramid till it reaches its neck, which is cylindrical in shape. The total height of the temple is 170 ft. and on the top of the temple are Chatras which symbolize sovereignty of religion.
Bodhi Tree: The present Bodhi Tree is probably the fifth succession of the original tree under which the Buddha had attained enlightenment. Vajrasana, the seat of stability, is a stone platform on which the Buddha is supposed to have sat in meditation gazing east, under the Bodhi tree.
Later proceed to Varanasi enroute visiting countryside and transfer to your hotel.
Varanasi (also known as Banaras) is one of the oldest living cities in the world and the ultimate pilgrimage for Hindus, who believe that to die in the city, is to attain instant salvation. Situated on the banks of the Ganga, Varanasi is the tract of Holy Land lying between the rivers Varuna and Assi. Which flow into Ganga. Varanasi is also known as Kashi.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 08: VARANASI – SARNATH – AGRA
Early morning boat rides on the Holy Ganges to view the religious activity at the bathing ghats for an insight into the cultural background of India. It provides an absorbing spectacle of thousands of Hindus engaged in their ritual bathing. Visits ghats and temples on the bank of the river.
Later guided excursion to Sarnath – the buried Buddhist city- seven miles from Varanasi where Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon in the quietness of Deer Park and set the “Wheel of Law,” is where you will visit the Sarnath Museum with the Ashoka Pillar.
Later transfer to railway station to board overnight train for Agra.
DAY 09: AGRA
Morning arrive Agra.
Assistance on arrival and transfer to your hotel.
Agra is globally renowned as the city of the Taj Mahal. But this royal Mughal city has, in addition to the legendary Taj, many monuments that epitomise the high point of Mughal architecture. In the Mughal period, in the 16th and 17th centuries, Agra was the capital of India.
The crowning glory of the city is obviously the Taj, a monument of love and imagination that represents India to the world.
The Taj Mahal (Close on Friday) stands serene and awesome, on a raised marble platform, by the banks of the Yamuna, testifying to the timelessness of art and love. Its pure white marble shimmers silver in the soft moonlight, exudes a shell – pink glow at dawn, and at the close of the day, takes on the tawny, fiery hue of the majestic sun.
Shahjahan built the monument in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the ‘lady of the Taj’. It has been called the most extravagant monument ever built for the sake of love. The construction of the Taj commenced in 1631, and was completed in 1653. Workers were gathered from all over the country and from Central Asia, and about 20,000 people were recruited to translate this wild dream into a reality.
Among the other monuments that Agra takes pride in is the Agra Fort, built by three of the greatest Mughal emperors. The construction of this massive structure began in 1565, under Akbar, and continued till the time of his grandson, Shahjahan. Armed with massive double walls, punctuated by four gateways, the fort houses palaces, courts, mosques, baths, gardens and gracious pavilions within its premises. Among the fascinating structures that are to be found within the fort is the red sandstone Jehangiri Mahal built by Akbar for his Hindu queen, Jodhabai, was one of the earliest constructions illustrating the fort’s change from a military structure to a palace.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 10: AGRA – DELHI BY SURFACE (210 KMS / 5 HRS)
Morning proceed to Delhi enroute visiting countryside.
Afternoon half day guided city sightseeing tour visiting Qutub Minar, India Gate, Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple) and Government buildings.
Later transfer to airport in time to board flight for onward destination. Check-out time is 12 noon.
Bon Voyage |
Note: all the above arrangements are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. |