FACTS
& FIGURES
Area : 6.0 sq km
Population : 13,860 (1991)
Altitude : 400 m above sea level
Languages : Hindi and English
Best time to visit : October to April
STD Code : 05563
INTRODUCTION
Once in Kushinagar, it appears that
time has come to a complete halt. This sleepy town,
with its serenity and unassuming beauty, absorbs visitors
into a contemplative mood. It is this place that the
Buddha had chosen to free himself from the cycles of
death and life and, therefore, it occupies a very special
space in the heart of every Buddhist.
LOCATION
Kushinagar is situated in the north Indian state
of Uttar Pradesh, 51 km off Gorakhpur. The place, which
is famous for the Mahaparinirvana (death) of Lord Buddha,
has been included in the famous Buddhist trail encompassing
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal.
CLIMATE
Like other places in the Gangetic plain,
the climate of Kushinagar is hot and humid in the summers
(mid-April–mid-September) with maximum temperature
touching 40–45°C. Winters are mild and minimum
temperature in December can go down to around 5°C.
Monsoon reaches this region in June and remains here
till September.
PAST
Kushinagar is also known as Kasia or
Kusinara. The founder of Buddhism, Lord Buddha passed
away at this place near the Hiranyavati River and was
cremated at the Ramabhar stupa. It was once a celebrated
center of the Malla kingdom. Many of its stupas and
viharas date back to 230 BC–AD 413. when its prosperity
was at the peak. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka added grandeur
to this place by getting the magnificent statue of Buddha
carved on a single piece of red sandstone. Fa Hien,
Huen Tsang, and I-tsing, the three famous Chinese scholar
travelers to India, all visited Kushinagar.
With the decline of Buddhism, however, Kushinagar lost
its importance and suffered much neglect. It was only
in the last century that Lord Alexander Cunningham excavated
many important remnants of the main site such as the
Matha Kua and Ramabhar stupa. Today, people from all
over the world visit Kushinagar. Many national and international
societies and groups have established their centers
here.
SITES TO VISIT
The Mahaparinirvana Temple, with its
world famous reclining statue of Buddha, is an important
site to visit. The 20-feet-long statue is seated on
a brick platform. Ruins of as many as eight monasteries
are around the main site. These monasteries have witnessed
the rise and fall of a number of dynasties and the spread
of Buddhism. Ruins of two monasteries—Mahaparinirvana
Vihara and Makutabandhara Vihara—are especially
famous. The Makutabandhara Vihara is believed to have
been built by Malla kings to preserve the relics of
the Buddha. Through the centuries, monuments and shrines
of various types grew around these ancient sites.
Then there is the wonderful mini-city of Wat Thai Kusinara
developed by the Thais. Built on an area of about 10
acres, it houses small huts, a school, a library, and
hospitals. In the miniature gardens, lotus ponds and
nurseries, all in typical oriental style, residents
learn to love nature—the true gospel of Buddhism.
Hundreds of Thai people come down every year to perform
various kinds of services. The rich and poor alike,
with clean-shaved heads and dressed in saffron clothes,
live in modest huts and eat from banana leaves.
All holy sites are along one straight road. Towards
the east, several temples of various Buddhist countries
have come up. The procession organized by the Burmese
temple every year on Buddha Poornima day is attended
by thousands of people. Other attractions are the Indo-Japanese-Sri
Lankan Center for Cultural Association, meditation center,
and archeological museum. Nature lovers can take a strip
to the Tamkuhi forest area, which also has a forest
rest house for staying overnight.
SITES NEARBY
Fifty-one kilometers off Kushinagar
is Gorakhpur, an important city of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
At Gorakhpur is the Rahul Sanskrityayan Museum, which
has an excellent collection of Thanka paintings and
relics of the Buddha. The water sports complex at Ramgarh
Tal Planetarium and the Gorakhnath Temple in the city
are also worth a visit.
Kapilavastu (Piprahwa) is situated 148 km from Kushinagar
and is an important Buddhist pilgrimage. Kapilavastu
was the ancient capital of the Sakya clan ruled by Gautama
Buddha’s father.
Situated in Nepal at a distance of 122 km from Gorakhpur,
Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. There are
regular buses to the Nepalese border, from where the
remaining 26 km has to be covered by private vehicles.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
Buddha Poornima is the most important
festival celebrated in April/May. Thousands of people
come to Kushinagar to celebrate the three most important
stages of Buddha’s life—birth, enlightenment,
and death.
ACCOMMODATION
With the increasing popularity of Kushinagar
as a major Buddhist attraction, several standard and
budget hotels have opened up. Another option is to stay
in the dharamshalas, which are cheap and provide good
basic services.
HOW TO REACH
The nearest airhead is located at Varanasi
from where one can take flights to Delhi, Calcutta,
Lucknow, and Patna.
Kushinagar does not have a railway station. The nearest
railway station is at Gorakhpur (51 km), which is the
headquarters of Northeastern Railways and linked to
important destinations. Some important trains to Gorakhpur
are Bombay–Gorakhpur–Bandra Express, New
Delhi–Barauni–Vaishali Express, Cochin–Gorakhpur
Express, Shaheed Express, Amarnath Express, and Kathgodam
Express.
Kushinagar is well connected to other parts of the
state of Uttar Pradesh by bus. There are regular buses
to Gorakhpur (51 km), Lumbini (173 km), Kapilavastu
(148 km), Sravasti (254 km), and Sarnath (266 km), and
Agra (680 km).
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