Gorakhpur Gorakhpur
is located in the north-eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a
small city which is mostly known for its proximity to Kushinagar. It is
located on the banks of rivers Rapti and Rohini and the place got its name
from the name of famous Saint Gorakhnath who blessed the people of the
region with his teachings. Today, the city is known for its handloom
products.
Gorakhpur Destinations
» Gorakhnath Temple - This temple is dedicated in
the memory of Saint Gorakhnath, after whose name the city has got its name.
There are many temples in the vast temple complex. The seat from where he
used to preach has been turned into the shrine. The architecture of the
temple has to be seen to be believed.
» Gita Press - Gita press is known everywhere for
its publications, though its building is as good as its publications are.
The press publishes religious books of the Hindu religion. The building is
designed to make it look like a temple.
» Arogya Mandir - It is known as a naturopathy
centre which was established in 1940. See the place for its attractive
building as well as for its lush green surroundings.
» Kushinagar - Kushinagar is a small hamlet situated
about 53 km away from Gorakhpur. The site is revered by the Buddhists for
this is the place where Lord Buddha attained Maha Parinirvan, by which, it
is believed that he attained freedom from the cycles of death and rebirth.
Earlier the place was known as Kushinara and was a small town in the
Kingdom of Malllas. The place was almost forgotten till it was rediscovered
by the archaeologists in the later part of the nineteenth century. Today
Kushinagar is fast becoming a centre for International Buddhism as the place
has become a home to many viharas including Tibetan and a Burmese viharas as
well as temples from China and Japan.
Kushinagar Destinations
» Nirvana Stupa - This is a huge brickwork stupa
which was discovered by Carlyl in 1876 and is about 2.74 meter high. A
copper vessel was also discovered at this site. There was an inscription on
it in Brahmi script which stated that Lord Buddha's remains were deposited
here.
» Nirvana Temple - This temple is renowned for
having the statue of reclining Buddha which is about 6 meters long. It was
discovered in the excavations of 1876. The statue has been prepared from
Chunar sandstone, and it actually depicts dying Buddha reclining on his
right side.
» Rambhar Stupa - Rambhar Stupa lies about 1.5 km
south east from Nirvana Temple and is surrounded by rice, wheat and cane
fields.
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Lumbini
Lumbini is renowned the world over for being the birth place of Gautam
Buddha where Lord Buddha was born in 623 BC. The place is located in Terai
plains and is at about 250 km south west of Kathmandu which is near Nepal
India border in the north of Gorakhpur. It is a sacred place where Lord
Buddha was born as a Shakya Prince and it is marked by a pillar which was
erected by emperor Ashoka of India.
This holy site today is being developed with international support and the
aim is to position this place as the supreme pilgrimage for the Buddhists
from all over the world as well as a symbol of peace. Since the shrines are
being built by many countries, therefore the architectural traditions of
these countries are giving this place an international feel thus giving us a
message of universal friendship.
There is a village called Tilaurakot which is about 30 km away from
Lumbini. This village is believed to be the place where the Kapilvastu Royal
Palace was situated when Prince Siddharth was born, though at the age of 29
he renounced all this in search of enlightenment.
Lumbini Destinations
»
Sacred Garden - This is one of the significant places of Lumbini and it
is sprawled over an area of 8 sq km. The garden has many of the treasures of
the historic times of Buddha. The International Monastery Zone is also
located near the Sacred Garden. So far the construction works that have been
finished are Myanmar Temple, International Gautami Nuns temple, China
Temple, The Nepal Buddha Temple etc.
» Ashoka Pillar - This pillar has an inscription on
it that states that the holy site is the birth place of Lord Buddha. The
pillar is located near the sacred garden.
» Mayadevi Temple - It is situated on a side of the
Ashoka pillar. A recent excavation has uncovered a stone having a foot print
upon it which, some say, indicates the exact place of birth of Buddha.
» Pushkarni Pond - It is believed that Queen
Mayadevi took bath here before giving birth to Prince Siddhartha.
» The Lumbini Museum - It is located in the cultural
zone and has among its collection, Mauryan and Kushana coins, religious
manuscripts, terracotta fragments and stone and metal sculptures. The museum
also has an extensive collection of stamps from various countries.
» Kapilvastu Museum It is located at the distance of
about 27 km from Lumbini in the village of Tilaurakot. Here you'll find
coins, pottery as well as toys that date between seventh century BC and
fourth century AD. In its collection, you'll also come across jewelery and
ornaments of the period.
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