Mahaparinirvana Temple, Uttar Pradesh

Mahaparinirvana Temple, Uttar Pradesh

The Mahaparinirvana Temple is a magnificent Buddhist pilgrimage center which also can be called Mahaparinirvana Stupa. The Mahaparinirvana Temple is said to be one of the most sacred shrines for Buddhists across the world because of its beautiful stupas and architecture around the location. The Mahaparinirvana Temple is located in the Kushinagar city of Uttar Pradesh. Kushinagar is said to be the place where Gautama Buddha took his last breath. During the festivals of Buddha Purnima and Buddha festival, Buddhist monks, tourists, and locals visit the stupas and temples here to enjoy and participate enthusiastically in these festivals.

The present structure of this Buddhist pilgrimage place was built by the Indian Government in 1956 as a part of commemoration of the 2500th year of the Mahaparinirvana or one can even say the 2500 Buddist Era. The rooftop of the temple was rebuilt by the Archaeological Survey of India. Inside the temple lies a reclining Buddha statue with its head towards the north. The length of the statue is 6.1 meter long and rests on a stone couch which dates back to the 5th century. In 1876, the statue was discovered by Carlleyle which was executed out of a single block of red sandstone. The idol depicts the position of Lord Buddha when his mortal body left the earth and attained salvation. Now the current statue is in gold color. It is one such few representations of Lord Buddha's Nirvana ever found in the northern part of India. Devotees believe that the facial expressions of the idol change when seen from different angles. The structure is placed on a brick platform which also has an inscription inscribed on it by Swami Haribala. Swami Haribala was a disciple of Lord Buddha in the 5th century AD.

If you're planning to visit this Buddhist site in Uttar Pradesh, the ideal time to go is during the winter season when the temperature is pleasant, allowing visitors to enjoy the Mahaparinirvana Temple and its nearby sightseeing options. For visiting tourist attractions in and around Kushinagar, Bihar, one can easily reach the location because of well-connected transportation by flights, railways, and roadways. The nearest airport is Gorakhpur Airport and the nearest railway station is Deoria-Sadae. One can hire auto-rickshaws or any other convenes to reach the temple. The Mahaparinirvana Temple is merely 3 km from the Kushinagar bus stand. Mahaparinirvana Temple is considered a must visit place on Buddhist pilgrimage tour in India as it receives a huge number of tourists and pilgrims from different parts of the world.

Several stupas, pilgrimage sites and monasteries make Buddhist Tourism more knowledgeable and healthier for travelers and Buddhist pilgrims. The area around the temple is surrounded by various stupas and relics all related to Gautam Buddha and hence these are some of the best places to visit in Kushinagar. The Nirvana Stupa is situated right behind the temple, also known as Nirvana Chaitya. The Matha-Kuar Shrine is about 200 meters away from the Main stupa, in the southwest direction of the main temple. This shrine houses an enormous statue of Buddha meditating under the “Bodhi Tree”. The Ramabhar Stupa, also known as Mukut Bandhan-Chaitya is located around 1.5 kilometers east of the main Nirvana Temple. The stupa got its name from the nearby Ramabhar Lake and is located on the Kushinagar-Deoria road. The site marks the cremation place of Buddha. The Ramabhar Stupa has a huge circular drum measuring 34.14 meters in diameter and rests on a circular plinth which contains two or more terraces. The height of the Stupa structure is 15.4 meters.