The sacred site of the Buddha's parinirvana at Kushinagar

Buddhism

कुशीनगर

Kushinagar

“Lying quietly on his side, the place of entering perfect peace”

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Photo: Photo Dharma from Penang, Malaysia · CC BY 2.0

Scenes

The sacred site of the Buddha's parinirvana at KushinagarRonit 255 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The sacred site of the Buddha's parinirvana at Kushinagar2678mayank · CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning

In the low hall beside the red-brick stupa, pilgrims quietly drape golden cloth over the reclining figure of the Buddha.

Buddhist tradition holds that here the Buddha entered final peace — the parinirvana — making it one of the four great places of pilgrimage. The temple of the reclining Buddha and the nirvana stupa mark the site.

Field notes

Location
Kushinagar · India · N26.7° · E83.9°
Best time
The cool winter months; early morning before the reclining Buddha
Getting there
About an hour and a half by car from Gorakhpur and its airport and railway station.
Etiquette
Quiet and the pilgrim paths around the reclining Buddha and the stupa are honored.

Sources

  • · Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • · Archaeological Survey of India
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