The Buddhist Circuit from Gorakhpur: Lumbini, Kushinagar, Bodhgaya & Sarnath

Before his passing, the Buddha named four places that his followers should visit: where he was born, where he attained enlightenment, where he gave his first sermon and where he passed away. Today these sites - Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar - form the heart of the Buddhist Circuit, and Gorakhpur is perfectly placed to begin the journey - see our list of places to visit near Gorakhpur.

Lumbini: The Birthplace of the Buddha

Just across the Nepal border via Sunauli, Lumbini is where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha around 563 BCE. The Maya Devi Temple shelters the marker stone of the exact spot, beside the sacred pond where she bathed. The pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BCE confirms the site, and the surrounding Monastic Zone holds temples built by Buddhist nations from around the world.

Kushinagar: The Mahaparinirvana

Only an hour from Gorakhpur, Kushinagar is where the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana. In the Mahaparinirvana Temple lies a serene 6-metre reclining Buddha, carved in the 5th century. Nearby, the great brick Ramabhar Stupa marks the place of his cremation. Evenings here are deeply peaceful.

Bodhgaya: The Enlightenment

The holiest of the four, Bodhgaya is where Siddhartha meditated beneath the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha. The UNESCO-listed Mahabodhi Temple rises beside a descendant of that tree, and pilgrims from every Buddhist tradition meditate, chant and make offerings around it from dawn until night.

Around the temple, the Great Buddha Statue and monasteries built by Bhutan, Thailand, Japan and Tibet are well worth a day. Nearby Rajgir, with Vulture Peak, and the ruins of Nalanda, the ancient university, make a rewarding excursion.

Sarnath: The First Sermon

At the deer park of Sarnath, near Varanasi, the Buddha gave his first teaching and "set in motion the wheel of Dharma". Visit the great Dhamek Stupa, the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar and the museum, home of Ashoka's Lion Capital.

A Suggested Route

1. Gorakhpur - Lumbini: cross the border at Sunauli.
2. Lumbini: Maya Devi Temple and the Monastic Zone.
3. Lumbini - Kushinagar: Mahaparinirvana Temple and Ramabhar Stupa.
4. Kushinagar - Vaishali - Patna: the site of the Buddha's last sermon.
5. Nalanda & Rajgir, then on to Bodhgaya.
6. Bodhgaya: a full day at the Mahabodhi Temple and monasteries.
7. Bodhgaya - Varanasi: evening Ganga Aarti.
8. Sarnath, then depart from Varanasi.

Short on time? Our three-day Bodhgaya Buddhist Pilgrimage covers Bodhgaya, Rajgir and Nalanda, and we happily build the full circuit from Gorakhpur on request.