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Trip Route
Delhi - Varanasi - Bodhgaya - Rajgir - Nalanda - Patna - Vaishali – Kushinagar - Lumbini – Sravasti - Lucknow – Delhi - Agra - Delhi
Trip Plan
Day 01 Delhi ( Arr.)
Arrive Delhi. Meet and assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 02 Delhi - Varanasi
Morning walking tour of old Delhi. Post lunch sightseeing of Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar & Lotus Temple. Evening transfer to the railway station to board train for Varanasi. Overnight Train.
Day 03 Varanasi (Arr.)
Early morning arrival at Varanasi. Meet and assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel. Sightseeing of the city and temple. Later visit Sarnath. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 04 Varanasi - Bodhgaya
Early morning enjoy the boat ride on River Ganges Later drive to Bodhgaya [250 Km. 06 Hrs.] Check in at hotel. Visit Mahabodhi Temple. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 05 Bodhgaya
Visit the Monasteries and Sujata Village. Back to the hotel Afternoon free to relax. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 06 Bodhgaya - Rajgir - Nalanda - Patna
Morning drive to Rajgir ( 100 Km./03 hrs.) Visit Vulture Peak- a place where Lord Buddha set in motion his second wheel of Law, Bimbisar Jail- where King Bimbisar was imprisoned & Venu Ban- Site of the monastery Venuvana Vihar built by King Bimbisar for Lord Buddha to reside. Lunch at Rajgir. Later drive to Nalanda (12 Kms/25 min.] Visit Ancient Buddhist University and Museum. Drive to Patna ( 90 Kms/03 hrs) Arrive Patna and check in to hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day07 Patna - Vaishali - Kushinagar
Drive to Vaishali ( 65 Kms/.02 hrs). Visit Ruins of Monasteries, Garden Stupa and Lion Pillar. Later drive to Kushinagar (225 Kms/ 06 hrs] one of the principal centers of Buddhist pilgrimage where Lord Buddha left his corporeal self and attained Mahaparinirvana. Check in at hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 08 Kushinagar - Lumbini
Visit Ramabhar Stupa and Mahaparinirvana Temple. The Nirvana temple houses the 6 mtrs long statue of reclining Buddha. Later drive to Lumbini (200 Kms/05 hrs), the birth place of Lord Buddha. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 09 Lumbini - Sravasti
Visit the birth place of Lord Buddha , Ashokan Pillar and Maya Devi ( the mother of Lord Buddha) temple. The main attraction at Lumbini remains the Sacred Garden spread over 8 sq km. and possessing all the treasures of the historic area. Back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch drive to Sravasti (200 Kms/05 hrs) via Kapilvastu .Visit Stupa and Ruins of Suddodhan 's Palace. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10 Sravasti - Lucknow
Visit Jetavan, Angulimal Cave and Lotus Tank. Thereafter drive to Lucknow (200 Kms/04hrs). Arrive Lucknow and check in at hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11 Lucknow - Delhi
Visit the Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza. Later transfer to the railway station to board train for Delhi. Arrive Delhi. Transfer to hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 Delhi ( departure)
Transfer to the airport to board flight back to home.
Best season October – March
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Architectural & Religion Studies
Trail of Buddha
From Siddhartha to Sakyamuni and finally to Buddha or Enlightened one- an incredible transformation of a prince to an enlightened teacher, who walked the earth more than 25000 years ago.
The concept of Buddhist Circuit is initiated to enlighten the visitors about the religious and archaeological significance of the places related to Lord Buddha. It is meant for all types of visitors; either the pilgrims with the religious faith towards Buddhism or researchers on various aspects of Buddhism or even to the tourists on a site seeing tour.
DELHI Delhi offers a multitude of interesting places and attractions to the visitor, so much so that it becomes difficult to decide from where to begin exploring the city. The important places in Old Delhi includes the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Delhi Gate, and Raj Ghat and Shanti Vana, the last two being modern structures constructed after India's Independence in 1947. Notable attractions in New Delhi include the Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate, Laxminarayan Temple, Humayun's Tomb, Purana Quila, Tughlaqabad, Qutab Minar, and Bahai Temple.
VARANASI The city of Varanasi is situated along the west bank of the Ganges in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Called Benaras by the British, Varanasi is an important pilgrimage centre for the Hindus. Temples form the major source of attraction in this ancient city. The banks of the Ganges, considered to be a sacred river by the Hindus, are the centre of much of the religious activity that occurs in the city. The ghats built along the banks of the river for such religious activity also form a major source of attraction here. Some of the other interesting places to visit around the city are Alamgir Mosque, Durga Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Bharat Mata temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Banaras Hindu University and the Archaeological Museum.
SARNATH Sarnath, 10 km from Varanasi, where the Buddha preached his first sermon in the Deer Park, contains the most impressive remains, as well as a modem temple. The Dharmarajika, Chaukhandi and Dharnek stupas are outstanding. There are also the remains of a monastery, and the beautifully polished Lion Capital of Ashoka.
BODHGAYA As the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment, Bodhgaya is the spiritual home of Buhddhists. It attracts tens of thousands of believers from all over the world. Bodhgaya situated near the river Niranjana, is one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage centres since it was here that Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
NALANDA was the most renowned university in ancient India. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the Nalanda Museum across the road which houses some exquisite bronzes of the 9th and 10th centuries, Pala dynasty, and other remains excavated at the site. The beautiful Thai Temple and the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, a centre for research in Pali and Buddhist studies, are 2 kms from the main site.
RAJGIR The picturesque Rajgir, or Rajagriha as it was known in the past (literally, the abode of kings) is surrounded by the meandering river Banganga and 5 hills. During the lifetime of the Buddha this was the capital of the powerful Magadhan kingdom, ruled by the virtuous King Bimbisara, Prince Siddhartha, after he renounced his royal heritage came to this city to seek the path of vation.
PATNA Part of the famous Buddhist centre of East India, Patna is the base for many important places around. Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage in the world where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Gaya is a famous Hindu pilgrimage and related to many legends in Hindu religious literature. Nalanda has the distinction of being the place which at one point of time was home to the largest university in the world. Vaishali is a place of historical as well as religious importance to the Buddhists as well as Jains.
KUSHINAGAR A small dusty town in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagar is the place where Lord Gautam Buddha breathed his last. The religious significance of Kushinagar can be perceived by the fact that a large number of followers visit this place everyday. This is also the place where Lord Buddha preached his last sermon and said, /"All things must pass. Decay is inherent in all thing
LUMBINI Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, was located in 1890 after being untraced for 1,500 years. Lumbini grove, the sacred site of Lord Buddha's birth is today a small village in Nepal, 27 km from Sonauli on the Indo-Nepal Border. Three hundred years after the Mahaparinirvana, Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected a pillar there. This pillar, though broken, still remains at the site. It is known as the Rummendei Pillar after the earlier name of the place (modern name Rupandhei) in Nepal
SRAVASTI Sravasti, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala, has the honour for sheltering Buddha for 24 rainy seasons in the Jetvana Gardens. The city believed to be founded by the mythological king Sravast, has age-old stupas, majestic monasteries and several temples. Buddha is said to have performed some miracles here. This holy place also has the famous Anand Bodhi tree, an offspring of the one, said to have been planted by Buddha's main disciple.
LUCKNOW The capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow lying on the banks of river Gomati, is a city synonymous with the Nawabi Culture. In ultimate analysis, the city is a perfect blend of ancient with the modern, as many glitzy shopping plazas co exist with the old historical monuments. Some of places of interest are Bara imambara, Rumi darwaza and state museum.
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