On The Foot Steps of The Buddha

Duration: 12 Days/11 Nights
Places Covered: Delhi - Agra - Sankasia - Kanpur - Sravasti - Lumbini - Kushinagar - Vaishali - Patna - Bodhgaya - Varanasi - Delhi

The Buddhist Tour Pacakage will lead you to all those places where Lord Buddha has left his indelible imprint. Visit these places on the Buddhist tour and learn more about the teachings & philosophy of Lord Buddha.

LORD BUDDHA
From Siddharta to Sakyamuni and finally to the Buddha or the Enlightened one - an incredible transformation of a prince to an enlightened teacher, who walked the earth more than 2500 years ago. Upon seeing sorrow, misery, pain and death, in the prime of his youth, prince Siddharth decided to discover their causes and means of overcoming their occurrences. Thus renouncing worldly pleasures and leaving home and family behind , he traveled from place to place until finally attained enlightenment by fixed meditation under the Bodhi Tree. He then preached the truth he discovered, and exhorted his disciples to follow the Eight Fold Path for the cessation of the endless cycle of birth and re-birth.

Day 01: DELHI
Arrive Delhi
Welcome to your 'Buddhist Tour' , On arrival you will be met and transferred by the our representative to the hotel.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 02: DELHI
Combined city tour of New Delhi and Old Delhi
This morning, sightseeing of New Delhi & Old Delhi, visiting Jama Masjid, Raj Ghat - memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, Humayun's Tomb Qutub Minar, and drive past India gate, President's House, Parliament House
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 03: DELHI-AGRA (202 KMS)
This morning drive to Agra and transfer to hotel. Afternoon, visit half-day sightseeing tour visiting Taj Mahal, Agra Fort etc.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 04: AGRA-SANKASIA-(186 KMS)-KANPUR (183 KMS)
After breakfast, drive to Sankasia.
Sankasia lies in central Uttar Pradesh, 47 km from Farrukhabad. It is believed to be the place where Buddha, along with Brahma and Devraj Indra descended after giving sermons to his mother in heaven.
At the spot of descent stands a temple with a statue of the Buddha. The place is also known for a temple dedicated to Bisari Devi and an excavated Ashokan Elephant Pillar. Later drive to Kanpur and transfer to hotel.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 05: KANPUR- SRAVASTI (200 kms)
This holy place has the famous Anand Bodhi tree, an offspring of the one, said to have been planted by Buddha's main disciple
After breakfast, drive to 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.

Visit Sravasti - Baheth Mahern capital of ancient Kingdom of Kosala, an active centre for Buddhism. Places of interest are Sahet Mahet, Angulimar's cave, and Sujata House.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 06: SRAVASTI -LUMBINI (238kms)
Lumbini is the place where Lord Buddha was born and named Siddhartha
This morning Drive to Lumbini and transfer to hotel. 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.

Visit the monuments in Lumbini and take time for performing sacred ceremonies. Visit the sacred gardens with MAYAVEDI TEMPLE depicting the birth of Lord Buddha, the ASHOKA PILLAR pinpointing the birth place and the SAKYAN TANK where Mayadevi, the mother of the Buddha is supposed have taken bath before bringing forth the baby. All around this holy sites are remnants of monasteries and chaityas built over centuries following the Buddha's birth in 623 B.C.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 07: LUMBINI - KUSHINAGAR (196 kms)
Kushinagar is the place where Lord Gautam Buddha breathed his last.
This morning, drive to Kushinagar and transfer to hotel. 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 things".

Visit Sightseeing tour of Mahaparinirvana Temple and Rambhar Stupa., the place where Lord Buddha passed away into PARINIRVANA, till today its partial explanation has revealed the remains of at least ten ancient monasteries.
Overnight: Hotel.


Day 08: KUSHINAGAR - VAISHALI - PATNA(360 kms)
This morning, drive to Patna and enroute visit Vaishali.
Vaishali, - is a special place for the Buddhists as Buddha delivered his last sermon here and announced his implanting 'nirvana'. The second Buddhists council, held 100 years after Buddha's Parinirvana also took place here. This place is also birthplace of Lord Mahavira, the Jain Guru, and is a sacred place for Jains.

Visit Abhishek Pushkarni, Ashoka Pillar, Lotus Tank, Chau-Mukhi Mahadeo and the Vaishali Museum.
Arrive Patna and transfer to hotel.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 09: PATNA - RAJGIR-NALANDA-BODHGAYA (220 kms)
After breakfast, drive to Bodhgaya, enroute visiting Nalanda & Rajgir. Nalanda - Buddha had visited this place several times.
NALANDA - the centre of one of the oldest known universities of World, the ruins of the University reveal that it was the first International university of the world where over 2,000 teachers and 1,000 students from all over the Buddhist world lived and studied. An international centre for the Buddhist studies also functions here.

Rajgir - A modern Buddhist temple stands here.
RAJGIR - Rajgir was the ancient capital of the Magadha Kings. Buddha often came here. Rajgir is also an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus as the temple complex here is devoted to the Sun God.

Visit Bimbisara's Jail - where the King Bimbisara's son Ajatshatru imprisoned him ; Gidhar Kuta or Vulture Peak - where Buddha meditated, Venuvan Vihara or Bamboo garden - was built by the King Bimbisara for Buddha's residence..

Bodhgaya is one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage centres since it was here that Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree
BODHGAYA - it is here where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the saplings of which can still be seen in the temple premises.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 10: BODHGAYA
This morning, visit The Mahabodhi Temple - an architectural amalgation of many centuries and cultures - architectures of Gupta and later ages, inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China are some examples. The Bodhi Tree - is situated inside the temple premises under which Buddha attained illumination. White , green, and red flags tied onto the tree, form a canopy over seven sacred shrines, which symbolizes that Buddha spent seven weeks over here. Also visit Shaivite Monastery, The Buddha Archaeological Museum, and the Nirjana River.
Afternoon free for prayer.
Overnight: Hotel.

Day 11: BODHGAYA-VARANASI (280 KMS)
After breakfast, drive to Varanasi via Sarnath and transfer to hotel.
Sarnath - Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment and revealed the eight fold path, the Buddhists doctrine.

Visit Chaukhandi Stupa, Ashok Pillar, Dhamek Stupa, Dharamika Stupa, Dhamek Stupa, Archaeological Museum.
Overnight: Hotel.


Day 12: VARANASI -DELHI -INT'L AIRPORT
Early morning visit to River Ganges and Boat ride. The most important facet of Varanasi is the Ganges and the ghats lining its southern bank in the city. Just cruise along the ghats on a country boat to view sunrise and watch the Ghats, and people performing daily rights/pooja. Later Visit varanasi city.
Afternoon, transfer to domestic airport for flight to Delhi.
Depart for Delhi by flight

Arrive Delhi.
In time transfer to International Airport to catch flight for your onward journey.

(These are sample itinraries and we will be happy to make tailor made itinraries  suiting your needs.)

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